Governor of Sokoto State and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, has promised to do his best to ensure that Nigeria is unified if elected President in 2023.
He also promised to rejig the economy, create more jobs, ensure turn-around of infrastructure and do a lot more in the education and health sectors.
Tambuwal said this on Thursday in Lagos when he paid a visit to the former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, ahead of the party’s primary coming up next weekend.
He acknowledged the sharp division along ethnic and religious lines in the country and promised to resolve the issue immediately if he gets the mantle of leadership in 2023.
He said, “We know the situation of Nigeria today. Sharp division along religious lines, along ethnic lines. The first line have been overstretched, with an abject level of poverty. All indices are very wrong. The economy is in shambles, infrastructure decay, power not at all exists. And commerce and trade are going down. So that today, there is no middle class. It is unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this situation that we have been put into by the government of the All Progressives Congress, APC, that is rudderless and a ship without a captain.”
He said that the PDP is the only beacon of hope for Nigerians and urged the party not to damage the hope of Nigeria by electing a good candidate in the 2023 general election.
On why he joined the presidential race, Tambuwal, who is the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, PDPGF, said that he is in the race for good reason, adding that “I am in the race because I believe that this is the right time now that our party has successfully settle the issue of zoning in a very ingenious way. They have done so without jettisoning the issue of rotation in the party constitution, but rely on exigencies of the time, force majeure that all of us should go in, 15 of us and that means you have variety to choose from.”
Tambuwal appealed to Nigerians to look at his track record, saying, “I am not just coming to the public space. I have been around for some time, and my conduct is known to the public, my character is known to the public.
“I believe that as I said earlier, we should go for a Nigerian President, a President of the Federal Republic, a president that would be at home in Lagos and at home in Bayelsa; a President that can be at home in Benue and at home in Abia; a President that can be at home in Borno and at home in Osun.
“Why do I say this, it is because we must continue with the work of our leaders, of uniting our people! Yes it is good that we share power, but for the PDP, my argument has always been ‘let us get power and then we share it.’
“To win the election in 2023, we must consciously choose the right candidate from state Assemblies, to the House of Representatives, to the Senate, to the governors and the president.”
He asked the people of Nigeria to elect a President who should be a President for Nigeria and a Nigerian President.
He added, “So I can assure you that of the 15 presidential aspirants, I am the youngest. Of the 15 aspirants, none of them has my experience. So, if you are looking for experience in all ramifications, qualitative, productive experience that can be applied for democratic federal governance, I have passed.”
He charged the party delegates to be fair to the party and to Nigeria, by electing a candidate that is sellable and marketable, adding, “the one you can go to any part of the country and market with ease, because he is known. I am not saying I’m known for bad things, but I am known for positive things.”
While welcoming Tambuwal to his office in Ikoyi-Lagos, Chief George said that Tambuwal has chosen the right time to come out for the presidential race.
George said, “We have seen so many aspirants. I don’t want to be completely biased, but I would say this before the public. When he was the Speaker, at the end of that period people were calling him because of the way he had handled the House of Representatives. They told him to please come for the ticket of the President of this country. He came to my house one evening, just between me and him alone, he told me, ‘Baba people are asking me to come and be President.’ And I said to him, ‘I know you have the right qualities, right temperament, right experience, but kanda kanda (take it easy).’ I said the time will come. You had the choice then of either being governor of Sokoto or to go for presidential election. I then said turn to Sokoto and acquire that experience. Right now you are ready and ripe.”
