Prince Tony Momoh, a former Information Minister and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said on Tuesday that he made President Muhammadu Buhari to review his decision not to recontest after the 2011 elections, adding that the president never at any time promised to run for a single term.
Momoh, who was the national chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), the party under which candidate Buhari contested the 2011 presidential election, however, said even if the president ever said so, he still has a right to change his mind, which he has done, as the constitution allows him to seek re-election.
Speaking in an interview with DAILY INDEPENDENT in his Abuja residence, Momoh said what President Buhari said after the 2011 presidential election was that he will not vie for the presidency again.
He stated that he, however, cautioned him against saying so, as only the party can decide for him his next line of action.
“Buhari never said he will only contest for a single term. The Buhari I know will never say so. In fact, he said he will not contest again after the 2011 election,” he said.
I was the national chairman of CPC and I said, ‘Shut up! You are a member of CPC. It is the party that decides where you go to. You are only an individual.’ And so, he bowed to the wishes of the party.
“So, he never said he will do a single term. But even if he said so, can he not change his mind? But I am saying that he didn’t say so. He is constitutionally qualified to contest twice.”
Also reacting to the letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, asking Buhari not to seek re-election, Momoh said such a call is unacceptable since Obasanjo is not a member of the APC.
We have people who fought for third term in this country. This man has not even contested for second term and you are saying he should not contest,” he said.
“If you are a member of the party and you are telling people not to contest, it will be understandable.”
“But you belong to other parties and you are telling someone in a party of which you are not a member not too contest. People should respect themselves; otherwise some people will take issues with them.”
On the leadership crisis that has plagued the APC in the last few days, Momoh, who said the incumbent national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is qualified to seek re-election, said a lot of things that happened in the party were exaggerated.
He added that the party has put the incident behind it and is poised to win the 2019 presidential election.
“The fact is that he (Oyegun) is entitled to seek re-election. On his handling of the party affairs so far, I am not to judge him,” he said.
He stressed that Oyegun “can contest and if he wins, he continues to be chairman. But I know a lot of things people are saying are exaggerated.”
“We know there are lots of hiccups in political parties all over the country. That is what it should be because democracy is a talk-shop. If you really want to achieve in a particular polity, then look for that quantum of freedom that will ensure maximum achievement and that is why I say democracy is the luxury of development.”
