A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Engr. Muazu Magaji, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore those calling on him to seek re-election in 2019, saying: “The President himself had complained about his health and age when he took over in 2015.”

Speaking with newsmen Tuesday in Abuja, Magaji who in 2014 sought to contest the governorship ticket of APC in Kano, said the recent political dynamics have shown that the President can no longer assimilate, hence the need to honourably step aside for a younger politician.

Magaji, a former Special Adviser on Projects to former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in Kano, said: “Honestly, if you ask me l will say that the President has given so much to this country and he has done so much within his coming into the democratic space that the limitations that we have highlighted now have potentials to ruin his integrity and reputations if he continues this way.

“Unless he addresses them and we have analysed here that addressing them might be difficult for him. I think there is a milestone in democracy that you might say even if l am giving 10 years there is much l can do but if l set the foundation and l am happy l have restored confidence and l have brought hope back and l could get younger people.

“Even the President himself complained about his age when he came and complained about the dirty process within the polity which is not in tandem with what he is used to.

“So, there are political dynamics that he is not capable of assimilating, therefore we need some politicians that are vibrant, younger and capable of managing the dynamics of diabolical plans of some politicians against the state and check-mating them.

“Also they must be persons that have demonstrated the pedigree and capabilities to build a nation either from the responsibility they held before or from things they have manifested in their lives and they have the integrity to manage the resources and the moral balance to treat Nigerians equitably and fairly. Those are the people l think the President should look out for and hand over this nation to them as a legacy.”

When asked whether he would prefer his former boss, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as APC presidential candidate in 2019, Magaji said: “If that is the case, I will say yes. If he gets this opportunity l believe he will do very well because Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso is a very young vibrant politician who has committed his life in politics in the service of humanity.

“He has right from his days in the National Assembly being a leader; he has been a Deputy Speaker on the National Assembly at some point; he was an elected governor at young age of above 40; he lost election as a democratic; he managed himself, his party and his team after losing election and he came back to power.

“These are things Nigeria needed. We need a new Nigeria that is devoid of the acrimony of religions and politics. We need to elect a leader that can lift this country above board to African greatness.”

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