Former Abia State governor, Dr Orji Kalu, said yesterday that President Muhammadu Buhari deserves to be given a second tenure in office by the Nigerian electorate.
Kalu, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, said President Buhari is still very popular but needs to consolidate on his achievements so far in office.
He declared that he would support Buhari if he indicates interest to run for a second term even as he ruled out the chances of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming back to power in 2019.
He said, “I have said it, times without number, that the president needs to consolidate on his achievements because he is very popular.
“He is still the only person carrying 15 million votes in his back despite his tenure being besieged by illness. So the president genuinely deserves a second tenure.’’
According to him, Buhari was under restraint not to expose the gargantuan corruption that took place at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) adding that if Nigerians knew what happened at NNPC they would not allow any of the looters to run away from the country.
Speaking on the issue of ticket to re-contest election in 2019, he said the president would prefer a situation where other candidates would explore the democratic process to test their popularity.
“Buhari himself is not even looking for automatic ticket. He is a man that is very fair and free in what he does. His feeling is that if any candidate is willing to contest against him, he should come out. So President Buhari is also feeling that an automatic ticket for him is not right,” Kalu said.
