President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is running for re-election on behalf of the main ruling MDP, says he will win the presidential election runoff scheduled for September 30 “with a score of 5-3 goals”.

In a meeting with campaign teams at the MDP Sosun Jagaha on Saturday night, President Solih described the presidential election as a football match.

He said that the results of “the second half” will turn the whole game around.

“We are competing in a match. The first half is over. But the match doesn’t end with the first half. Sometimes, some teams lose the first half by a score of 3-1. Others win. We are currently behind by 3-1,” he said.

President Solih said that his team was making thorough plans during the halftime to win the second half.

“Wait and see how we play in the second half. We have changed players in some of the positions, and have brought courageous players to the front,” he said.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih meets his campaign teams at the MDP Sosun Jagaha in Male' City on September 16, 2023. (Photo/MDP)

President Solih said that during the second half, he will match the three goals scored by the opposition, and score two more.

“In Sha Allah, we will score, and score. We will score goal after goal,” he said.

President Solih said attributed the loss in the first round of voting certain laxness, especially in voter re-registration.

He said that many people who pledged their votes to MDP had been unable to vote during the first round.

He asked that voters complete re-registration as soon as possible.

“In Sha Allah, we shall win this election by a landslide,” he said.

In the election runoff at the end of the month, President Solih, who won 39 percent in the first round, faces the opposition PPM-PNC’s candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who won 46 percent.