Saraki Formally Declares for President, Gives Powerful Speech
- Atiku Abubakar will have to do more than double his effort to ensure his victory in the PDP presidential primary
- This is as he is now going to face a tough and worthy opponent, Bukola Saraki, a former Kwara governor and Senate president
- Saraki on Thursday, May 12, officially joined other PDP aspirants to make public his desire to take over President Buhari's seat in 2023
Abuja - A former governor of Kwara and president of the eighth Senate, Bukola Saraki, has made public to run for the 2023 presidential election.
Saraki made his intention known on Thursday, May 12, in Abuja where he stated that he feels the need to address certain national issues and profer solutions to them when and if given the mandate as president.
In his speech, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s bigwig admitted that he did not solve all the problems in his state while a governor, but left it better than he met it.
Source: Twitter
He recalled that his administration started and deepened some educational reforms which benefitted school children.
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Rule of law must prevail
As a focal point in his agenda, Saraki said he will make sure the rule of law prevails in the land, despite the fact that presently some persons break the law as if there is no consequence for their actions.
He said:
“As long as there are still people in this country who believe that they can break the laws of Nigeria with impunity; who think that crime has no consequences, then the job is not done.
“And this is why I want to be President because I will ensure strict compliance with the rule of law and guarantee consequences for crime.
''As long as we still import tilers, plumbers and electricians from neighboring countries, then the job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, because I will collaborate with the industries, and train one million of our youths in technical and vocational skills each year.
''As long as 65 million of our citizens still live in slum conditions in our cities and urban centers, then the job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, because I will deliver half a million affordable housing units every year to our low-income earners and eliminate urban slums.
''As long as Nigeria is not the tech hub for Africa, despite our incredible talents in this area, then our job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, because I will invest massively in skills in cloud computing, data analytics, programming and other such in-demand skills to drive innovation and competitiveness among our youths.
''As long as our huge army of talented youths do not think that the Nigerian government can support their dreams, whether in entertainment, fashion or other creative business, the job is not done. And it is for these talented Nigerians that I want to be President, because I will create the Nigeria Creative Industry Initiatives to protect our leadership position on the African continent and position us to be global leader in the cultural productions economy.
''As long as our university lecturers still have reasons to embark on strike actions; as long our universities still rank outside the top 1000 in the world, then our job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, because I will ensure that our universities and higher education institutions are competitive and well-funded, adopting models and approaches that have served the most successful higher education systems in the world.
''As long as some of our best and brightest brains still relocate to other countries to find fulfillment, then our job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, because I will develop targeted incentives to reverse the brain drain and keep our professionals in the country.
''I CAN DO IT! My portfolio of experience at the executive level, and at the highest legislative institution of our country, makes me a unique asset in democratic leadership at a time that calls for consensus building, for cooperation and for compromise.''
2023: Atiku says he is not part of northern consensus arrangement
Meanwhile, Atiku had said that he was never a party to the northern consensus arrangement.
Speaking on behalf of the former vice president, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi said Atiku did not subject himself to any purported consensus process and thus was not bound by any of the recommendations and conclusions of the report.
Dokpesi, a media mogul, heads the technical committee for the actualization of Atiku Abubakar’s presidency in 2023.
Source: Legit.ng
Jerrywright Ukwu Jerrywright Ukwu is an Abuja-based senior political/defence correspondent. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja. He is also a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He spends his leisure-time reading history books. He can be reached via email at jerrywright39@yahoo.com.
Onyirioha Nnamdi Onyirioha Nnamdi is a graduate of Literature and English Language at the University of Lagos. He is a Politics/Current Affairs Editor who writes on news and political topics for Legit.ng. He brings into his reporting a wealth of experience in creative and analytical writing. Nnamdi has a major interest in local and global politics. He has a professional certificate from Reuters and was awarded the editor with the best listicle for 2021. Contact: 08062988054, o.nnamdi@corp.legit.ng
