No third term for Buhari as Presidency disowned support group’s commentary

The Presidency has disowned a support group’s commentary, advocating for constitutional amendment to give room for presidential third term limit to enable President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his tenure beyond 2023.

A statement by Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, late Tuesday night in Abuja, said no circumstances that would warrant the president to seek for third term in office.

The statement read in part: ”The Presidency wishes to correct internet-based gossip and un-informed media commentary regarding presidential term limits, given credence by so-called support groups, staging street demonstrations asking President Muhammadu Buhari to do a third term.

”There are no circumstances – nor set of circumstances – under which President Buhari may seek to amend the Constitution regarding the two-term term limit on holding office as President.”

According to the presidential aide, President Buhari intends to serve his full second elected term in office, ending 2023 – and then there shall be a general election in which he will not be a candidate.

”There is not even the faintest possibility that this will change.

”It is important to note that there was a past attempt to change the Constitution to allow for the-then incumbent president to stand for a third term. That attempt was wrong, unconstitutional – and rightly rebuffed,”

Shehu insisted that no such attempt would happen under the Buhari administration.

”President Buhari is a democrat. He respects the Constitution. Any activity aimed at altering the two-term limit will not succeed and shall never have his time nor support,” he added.(NAN)