Buhari’ll defeat any opposition candidate in 2019 – Okorocha

Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari would defeat any candidate presented by the opposition parties for the 2019 general election.

Okorocha said President Buhari, who is yet to openly declare his ambition to run for the second, would be supported as he remained unbeatable in the race.

The governor addressed some reporters after he was honoured with Honorary Degree of ‘Doctors of Letters’ during the sixth convocation ceremony of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) held at the weekend.

Some political observers in the country have maintained that the body language of President Buhari portend that he would declare for the 2019 presidential race.

The Imo state governor was speaking in reaction to the just concluded National convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in Abuja where the opposition party declared that the APC should be preparing for a “quit notice”.

At the convention, the PDP newly elected National Chairman, Mr. Uche Secondous, had vowed that the opposition party will take over the Aso Rock seat in 2019.

Okorocha affirmed that there is nothing the governing APC would be jittery about the outcome of the PDP convention.

“So, we are very confident that our presidential candidate to be (President Muhammadu Buhari) is up to the task.

“He has an impeccable track record that would take an unusual presidential candidate of a rival political party to match him.

“This is the strength of our party coupled with the fact that the APC governors are performing and we are sure we would deliver in 2019,” he said.

However, he observed that the exit of the erstwhile Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, from the All Progressives Congress was a bad omen for the governing party.

The Chairman, APC Governors’ Forum noted that Atiku who is now back to the PDP is a political heavy weight that will have garner more support for the APC.

“The exit of Atiku Abubakar from APC is not the best because no matter anybody thinks, he carries some political weight.

Earlier, Okorocha had also vehemently reacted to the statements credited to National leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who noted that there would not be any automatic ticket for President Buhari to become the sole candidate of the party.

Tinubu stated this in Akure during his visit to Pa Reuben Fasoranti, a foremost leader of the Pan Yoruba Socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere.

Though, the Imo State governor said the statements from Tinubu was surprising, he added that the APC National leader was only getting him wrong as he maintained that he was not prepared for issues.

He explained that his statement which was misconstrued was that he will join other APC governors to ensure President Muhammadu Buhari was “supported” as the only sole flag bearer to re-contest and win the presidential 2019 election.

“And since I made that statement, none of the Governors have said something that is contrary to what I said.

“I am surprised that Asiwaju will now be speaking for the Governors and he looks like somebody who is crying more than the bereaved.

“I did not see reason for the statement actually but he commands my respect and I don’t want to join issue with the National leader of my party (APC).

“What I mentioned was for the Governors and secondly what I said is support. The word I use is ‘support’ that does not mean there will not be primary.

“The Governors can only contribute only 37 votes, we still have over 5,000 votes up there. What I was talking about was Governors. I was not talking about other party members. Governors alone do not determine the flag bearer of a party,” Okorocha added.