Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told Reuters on Wednesday that he intends to run in the Egyptian presidential election early next year, adding that he will be returning to Egypt in the coming days.

The former Egyptian Air Force pilot and ex-presidential candidate said he would run in the election that is planned for around April time, when current President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi is expected to seek a second term, according to a video sent in to Reuters by Shafiq and a telephone statement.

“I‘m honored to announce my will to run in the upcoming presidential elections in Egypt as a choice to be president of the country for the next four years,” he said.

On the other hand, Shafiq announced late Wednesday that UAE's government banned him from returning to his country Egypt after announcing his intentions to run into the elections without clarifying any reasons.

President Sisi has not yet announced whether he will run for president again, but said that he will “follow the will of the people.”

Shafiq had lost the race against Mohamed Morsi in the first election after Egypt’s 2011 uprising, when the Egyptian people toppled former leader Hosni Mubarak.

At the time, Shafiq was forced to resign as prime minister because of his links to the former government of the ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

After his defeat in the elections, Shafiq fled the country, formed an Egyptian political party and led it from abroad.