Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Governors Forum of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Owelle Rochas Okorocha says President Muhamadu Buhari will not be given an automatic ticket to fly the party’s flag in the 2019 presidential elections.

Speaking with State House Correspondents shortly after meeting with the President, Okorocha said Buhari would have to go through the constitutionally-laid down procedures to secure the party’s ticket.

He noted that although the President was physically and constitutionally qualified to re-contest the presidency, he would however have to slug it out with other aspirants as the party would not allow the imposition of any candidate.

Okorocha said: “The gentleman is looking much more handsome than even before he went to the hospital, he is looking even stronger and so, he has every right and qualification to re-contest, there is nothing wrong at all.”

He added: “But we don’t allow imposition of candidates. It must be democratically done. If President Buhari would lead the ship in 2019, it must be democratically done to the amazement of the whole world, the way we do our things in APC and people will be happy.”

He further disclosed that President Buhari would soon embark on a tour of the South-Eastern states as part of the strategies to improve synergy between the Federal Government and people of the region whom he said were better off in the APC than any other party.