The Presidency has claimed that reports suggesting that President Muhammadu Buhari once pledged to use only one term in office and never to seek re-election because of his age  were a misquote.

The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who is currently on the President’s entourage to London stated this while reacting to a contributor on a Channels Television programme via Skype.

The contributor, Mr. Yemi Akinbode had, while contributing to the programme said he was not surprised by the president’s declaration in spite of his pledge in 2014 not to seek re-election.

Adesina said: “No, that’s a misquote. He was never quoted that way. If there is anything on record like that, it is a misquote. Because I was with him in South Africa when that issue came and he said oh, he wished he had become President at the time he was a military governor, that he would have done a lot for Nigeria.

“And the other happened in 2011. When he was running in 2011 he said yes, he would be a president for one term. But did he win that year? No.

“The victory came in 2015. So, that being quoted in 2011 is not applicable again because he did not win that year.”

The presidential aide maintained that it was not on record that Buhari had told the leadership of the All Progressives Congress or any member of the party that he would do only one term in office.

He said the president’s declaration to run for a second time took him and other aides unawares, stressing that the Buhari declaration was a reaction to the appeals by millions of well-meaning Nigerians.