Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has declared his intention to contest the 2023 Presidential Election in the country.
Prof. Osinbajo’s declaration was made on Monday morning in a recorded video message broadcast on national televisions.
The vice president said the tutelage he has had in the past seven years working with President Muhammadu Buhari has equipped him with the experience to serve Nigeria as president.
“I believe the very reason why the Almighty God gave me these experiences, these insights, and these opportunities is that they must be put to the use of our country and its great peoples, which is why I am today, with utmost humility, formally declaring my intention to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.
“If by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity, then I believe I will complete what we started, radically transforming our security and intelligence architecture, completing the reform of our justice system, focusing on adequate remuneration and welfare of justice personnel, and ensuring justice for all and observance of the rule of law, rapidly advancing our infrastructure development, especially power, roads, railways and broadband connectivity, providing an excellent environment for businesses to thrive, taking agricultural revolution to the next level, especially in mechanization and development of the farm to table value chain; making sure that the government, its agencies and regulators serve the business community; creating a tech economy that will provide jobs for millions of young Nigerians; enhancing our social development programme to a full scale social welfare programme; completing the promise of lifting a hundred million Nigerians out of poverty within this decade; completing the task of ensuring that all Nigerians, male and female, attend schools; reforming our educational system for relevance to the challenges of this sector; completing the task of universal health coverage for all; and strengthening the capacity of states and local governments to deliver on their respective mandates.
“Above all, front and Centre of our efforts will be the provision of jobs and opportunities for our young people.
“I now most solemnly and respectfully seek the support of fellow Nigerians everywhere in this land, and the diaspora, young and old, male and female, in the great and exciting journey that we have ahead of us.
“We will, working together, establish by the grace of God, the Nigeria of our dreams in a few short years. We will build on the foundation laid by our predecessors.
“We will need to move, with much speed, intentionality, and perseverance, towards the vision of a prosperous, stable, and secure nation.
“I am convinced beyond doubt that we have the creativity, the courage, the talent, and the resources to be the foremost black nation on earth. Let us now birth the expectations of greatness conceived generations before us.
“Let us build a Nigeria where the man from Nnewi sees the man in Gusau as his brother, where the woman in Warri sees the woman in Jalingo as her sister, where the love of our nation burns alike in the hearts of boys and girls from Gboko to Yenogoa. Where everywhere in this land is home for everyone , where our diversities, tribes and faiths unite, rather than divide us.
“Let our tribes become one tribe; the Nigerian tribe, where all are treated fairly, justly and with respect; where all are given equal access to the abundant opportunities that God has bestowed on this nation.”
There have been calls by various groups asking the vice president to declare his intention to run for the Office of the President.
On Sunday night he met with some governors of the All Progessives Congress, APC, at his official resident, Akinola Aguda House at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
His announcement on Monday ended speculations about his plans for next year.
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