A former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, does not see the exit of some bigwigs from the All Progressives Congress (APC) stopping President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election next year.
Momoh, also an APC chieftain, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday that while the defectors might get substantial votes for their new party in their respective areas, Buhari would still win in their domains.
The former minister said Buhari got more votes than most of the defectors in their respective zones and states in previous polls, and the same thing would happen in the next election.
He said that the President has done well as a leader, adding that Nigerians would show appreciation and re-elect him.
He said: “I do not think the defection would stop the President from winning in the next election.
“I will not say that it will not affect the votes of the president; votes are about people, and now that some people have left, it will have some impact.
“But I do not think that the impact will be such that it would stop the president from winning.
“Come to think of it, the President got more votes more than the defectors in their senatorial zones and states mostly in the North in 2015.
“Overall, he got 15 million votes in the election. Now that he is President who has performed well, he will get more votes mostly in the South-South and South-East.
“He has delivered great projects in these two regions which did not really vote for him in 2018.
“The votes the President will get in these regions will make up much more for the very few votes he might lose to defections in the North.”
Momoh said APC should not lose sleep over the defections, as Buhari would record his biggest win ever in 2019.
The former minister said the President has not disappointed Nigerians on the three-pronged promises of security, corruption and economy on which he campaigned.
He said the second term of the President would enable him to consolidate on his present achievements.