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The Kano state government will take legal action against President Muhammadu Buhari If he refuses to seek re-election in 2019.
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said this in Abuja on Friday while addressing journalists on the controversy surrounding tenure extension in the All Progressives Congress.
He also confirmed he will recontest as governor in 2019.
His words: “In Kano, people are saying four plus four, that is they are urging me to contest again.
“But I too feel that in order to continue with the good development that we have started, development requires some time, and the constitution has given four years and another four years in order to consolidate what one has started.
“I am convinced that I too will seek for second term and people are also urging me to do so. Eventually, it will be left to the people to decide whether I am qualified or not,” the governor was quoted by Nation as saying.
On why President Buhari must re-contest in 2019, Ganduje said: “APC governors want Mr. President to continue.
“I am happy that it is not the President that said he wants to continue, it is the people that are saying continue, but Mr. President has not made up his mind yet.
“Kano State Government will take him to court any time he decides not to contest. So we are waiting for him.
“In this country, we saw presidents who spent billions of Naira for third term. So what is the ruse about a constitutional second term?”
On the issue of tenure extension, he said he was not in support because that would affect the fortunes of the party and portray it as undemocratic since that contradicts the party constitution.
This explanation is coming few days to another National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party, which is scheduled for Monday.
This NEC meeting would address the controversial tenure extension of party executives which the president kicked against in the last NEC meeting.
The party’s NEC had proposed a one year extension for party executives, as their tenure ends in June, less than a year to the election.
NEC had explained it wanted an extension of tenure to avoid congresses and the issues that follow congresses so it doesn’t keep the party from working towards the 2019 general election.
At the party’s NEC meeting on Monday, he said a committee would be put in place to conduct congresses to elect leaders at all levels with a time-table for congresses and convention of the party, which will bring in a new set of leaders at all levels.
“Yes, there was controversy on this, even though we were able to lay it to rest yesterday.
“But let me tell you the issues involved: those who are advocating for tenure elongation are advocating on the premise that when we hold congresses and convention, according to their own perception, there will be a lot of problems and that problem will linger into election period.
“Well, that is a perception. It could be that way, and it could be that some people wanted to retain power. Therefore, that reason is biased. However, I don’t belong to that school of thought,” he said.
He stressed that the constitution of the party has made a provision for four years, and at the end of it, the party would have to hold congresses and convention.