Buhari 2019: We are not fazed by President’s declaration — Atiku Group

The group’s National President, Mr Ferguson Okpala, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday.

Okpala said the Atiku movement was not worried by the announcement as it would only make the next general election a keen and interesting contest.

He said the opposition must nominate the right candidate if it wished to have a robust contest in the next election.

“For us, the decision of President Buhari to seek re-election is a good one, it is his personal decision and right; nobody should deny him that.

“But we are not worried about that, it is even good for us because we know one of our likely opponents.

“Nigerians are wise enough to elect the leader they want.

“What we are asking for now is that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should do the right thing by giving Atiku the party’s presidential ticket because he is the only one that has the reach, credibility and capacity to face Buhari,’’ he said.

Okpala, who believed that power belongs to God, said that performance and not incumbency would determine the 2018 elections.

“I don’t think incumbency will play a big role in the coming election because the electorate will compare performance with promises which the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) made before they took over government.