2023: Amosun Declares As Osinbajo, Nnamani, Bakare Pick Nomination Forms
Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun, formally declared his presidential ambition on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
At the International Conference Centre in the same Federal Capital Territory, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, former vice presidential candidate in the defunct Congress for Progressive Change in the 2011 general elections, Pastor Tunde Bakare; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi picked the Nomination Forms ahead of the party presidential convention.
Senator Amosun while declaring his ambition commended the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari for the latter achievements in the last seven years and promised to “consolidate on the ongoing processes by broadening and deepening, and where necessary, rebuilding the all-encompassing, coherent and comprehensive security structure to confront the numerous security challenges facing the country.”
The former governor described his aspiration as “a historic call and duty to lead the next phase of our collective journey to national glory. It is a duty to re-energise our faith in the future of this country even in the face of the threats to our national sovereignty by insurgents and terrorists; a duty to renew hope in our collective destiny even in the light of some doubts expressed and mobilised in some quarters about our shared fate.”
Speaking on what he called his six-point agenda, the former Ogun State Governor told the gathering of his friends and party faithful that economic growth and national security would be accorded urgent attention.
He said “I will prioritise human security as the fundamental principle and ultimate goal of national security. Putting human security at the forefront and approaching human security as the directive principle of state policy would imply that the two dominant goals of my leadership would be national security and economic development.
“By linking security and economic development, the country will be able to confront the underlying causes of the multiple threats to our national security.”
He said under his administration Nigeria would assume the status of most favoured investor’s destination by reducing national indebtedness, freeing up capital to more productive sectors of the economy.”
In attendance were Ekiti State Governor and presidential aspirant, Kayode Fayemi; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs in the Office of the First Lady, Dr Rukayyatu Gurin; representative of the Alake of Egba land, Adedotun Gbadebo III, Senator Lawan Shuaibu, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, among others.
Tribune Online’s investigation revealed that among the aspirants who purchased Nomination Forms on Thursday, only Senator Ken Nnamani and Pastor Bakare appeared in person.
Speaking with journalists shortly after picking his form, Pastor Bakare said his focus would be on how to rebuild a devastated country.
“I trust God helping us with men of goodwill, East, West, North and South from the country across party lines, male and female who will rise up and rebuild our nation in such a way that the devastation we are experiencing we would see it again no more.
“Our program is very simple: peace, prosperity and progress and possibilities. Upon those four pillars, Nigeria will be rebuilt and the hope of many citizens will be rekindled. We are all going to join hands to make it happen. No other nation will fix our nation, it will take Nigerians from all works of life, within and without and those in the diaspora to join hands together to build our nation.”
The aspirant also said he would submit himself to the outcome of the presidential convention. “God rules in the affairs of men and He gives it to whomever He wills. A southerner is a Nigerian, a Northerner is a Nigerian. We trust God that the best, the fittest and the most competent will emerge and the one who truly loves our people, especially the poor will rise to fix our nation. Many people run in a race but only one person will wear the crown. There is only one seat, whoever wins the rest of us must rise to support him to rebuild Nigeria, East, West, North or South. Nigeria is our country.”
