File: Gov. El-Rufai (centre) with President Buhari (right) after a Friday prayer at the presidential villa

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State said on Friday that some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC he referred to as “Buharists” will push for President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the party in the 2019 general elections.

The Governor who said the “Buharists” group comprised governors and ministers are determined to ensure that the President run for a second term in 2019.

He spoke with State House reporters on Friday before joining the President Buhari for juma’at prayer at the Presidential Villa mosque.

According to him, the Buharists, including himself, has no  any personal ambition except the political ideology of supporting President Buhari’s cause.

But the governor said if the President will not run in 2019, the Buharists will wait for him to give a direction on whom to support.

“My name has continuously been mentioned as a presidential aspirant s‎ince 2007 after my years in the FCT. There’s nothing new about that.

“What I want to say here very clearly is that I’ve never been a presidential aspirant, I’ve never even been a gubernatorial aspirant. I’m governor today by the grace of God because President Buhari called me and said go and run for governor of Kaduna State.

“As far as 2019 is concerned, my position is the president is looking very well, he is recuperating very fast. My hope and prayer is he’ll contest in 2019.