Date: 2017-11-19

Senate President Bukola Saraki will not run against President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election, his chief of staff has said. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said as long as Buhari seeks re-election, "Saraki will not contest".

He was speaking on a weekly Hausa Programme aired on DITV/Alheri Radio monitored in Kaduna on Saturday, monitored by Sunday Trust.

Baba-Ahmed said: "There is no way Senator Bukola Saraki will contest for president in 2019 as long as President Buhari will contest. This I know very well because I work with him and I should know that.

"But if President Buhari says he will not re-contest the position, that is a different case. The Senate President will not contest against President Buhari because he sees and respects him as a father.

"The same thing happened in 2011 and 2015 if you remember. Saraki declined to contest against him; instead, he joined others to work for the success of the president in the 2015 elections."

He said he was not aware if Buhari will seek re-election.