‘We hope Buhari’s health will improve so he can run in 2019,’ Governor says

The governor made the comments during an interview with Bloomberg on Monday, April 3.

“Because of the feeling that the president may not run for a second term, people are already gearing up,” El-Rufai said.

“All of us are getting distracted by the coterie of ambitious presidential aspirants that are trying to kick-start the political process ahead of the normal timeline.

“The president is saying nothing about his intentions and many of us that campaigned vigorously for him in 2015 are hoping that his health will improve and stabilize and that he will run again in 2019.

“We need the policy continuity and the stability in the political environment for the country to make progress,” he added.

El-Rufai, who is close to Buhari, showed signs of disaffection with the president through a leaked memo in which he criticized Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“In very blunt terms, Mr. President, our APC administration has not only failed to manage expectations of a populace that expected overnight ‘change’ but has failed to deliver on even mundane matters of governance outside of our successes in fighting BH insurgency and corruption,” El-Rufai said in the memo.

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El-Rufai also described some members of Buhari’s cabinet as “clueless.”

Buhari's health became cause for concern after he spent 49 days in London on what should have been a 10-day medical vacation.

The president admitted, upon his return on March 10, that he had never been so sick in all his life and would need follow-up treatment soon.