The Presidency has denied reports first published by Reuters that President Muhammadu Bauhri granted a radio interview where he said he had not decided if he will re-contest.
The Presidency on Thursday denied distanced itself from the purported radio interview in which he said that he did not know whether he would seek re-election in 2019.
Reuters had cited Buhari as saying in the interview that the decision was both personal and also one for all Nigerians.
The presidency said the person speaking had not been Buhari, and that Buhari had not given any interviews on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear who the interviewee was as at the time of filing this report.
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Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria’s minister of communications who played a prominent role in Buhari’s 2015 campaign, has said he would chair a group to support the re-election of the president and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Analysts say the fact that Shittu has discussed campaign arrangements with Buhari and then made it public is a sign that he may have given his approval.
Nigeria will hold presidential elections on February 16, 2019 and parties have between August 18 and October 7 this year to select their candidates.
In a blow to the president, Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and key Buhari ally, quit the ruling All Progressives Congress in December and said he was prepared to run in 2019.
Last month he joined the opposition People’s Democratic Party.
