2019 election: Oyegun reacts to Bisi Akande’s ‘no automatic ticket for Buhari’ comment

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, has reacted to statement credited to Bisi Akande, that there will be no automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

The APC Chairman had in May this year stated that the party would give Buhari right of first refusal for the party’s presidential ticket in 2019.

The former National Chairman of the party had at the end of a stakeholders meeting of South-west APC last Thursday, held at the Agodi Government House, Ibadan, Oyo State, declared that the presidential ticket of the party was open to all.

While fielding questions about the position of the party on Buhari’s speculated second term ambition, Akande stated, “He has not told us he is running in 2019. Anybody in our party is free to become the president of Nigeria as long as he indicates interest.

“We have a process through which a candidate will be selected. If he is lucky to get the ticket, then we have no option than to present him as our candidate.”

In reaction, Oyegun told ThisDay that Akande only gave his personal position.

He said, “That’s his personal view. He said what he felt. There is really nothing to comment about – nothing. That is his personal view.”