The chairman of the All Progressives Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has ruled out an automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari in case he wants a second term.
Okorocha spoke to State House correspondents on Thursday after meeting behind closed doors with the president at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The governor testified that President Buhari had fully recovered and was looking healthier than he was during the 2015 elections.
He, however emphasised that while President Buhari has the right and qualifications to seek re-election, he would not be imposed on the ruling All Progressives Congress.
According to him, for Buhari to get the party’s ticket for the 2019 presidential elections, he must go through a democratic process which must be transparently conducted to the amazement of the entire world.
He said: ‘The gentleman (Buhari) is looking much more handsome than even before he went to hospital; he is looking stronger. And so, he has every right and qualification to re-contest, there is nothing wrong at all.
"But, we don’t allow imposition of candidates. It must be democratically done. If President Buhari will lead the ship in 2019, it must be democratically done, and I said, democratically done, transparently to the amazement of the whole world, the way we do our things in APC and people will be happy."
Okorocha noted that he was at the Villa to discuss political issues in the Southeast with Buhari, advising the president to strengthen his relationship with the zone.
The governor, who expressed optimism that membership of the APC would continue to expand as many politicians had been joining the fold, hinted that Buhari would visit states in the zone beginning with Ebonyi, Imo and Anambra.
He said: "The South East before now was not measuring in APC But we have worked out strategies and modalities on how to improve relationship between the people of South East and APC government and that was top on the agenda and the need for Mr President to come to South East as quickly as possible, to begin to show his presence.
"Luckily, the President will be coming to Ebonyi state, very soon, and he will pass through Imo state to Anambra state.
"So, covering three states within this short time will be right step in the right direction, because we have come to realise in the south east that we are better off in APC than any other party in the federal republic of Nigeria,".
The governor said he also discussed the bad state of roads in the zone with President Buhari.
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