Nigeria’s Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday officially declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.
He made the declaration on Monday morning in an address on various various media platforms on why he wanted to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari.
Osinbajo appealed to the people to consider him for the coveted office of the President based on his wealth of experience and commitment to democratic norms.
He said, “I believe that the very reason that the Almighty God gave me these experiences, these insights and these opportunities is that they must be put to the use of our great country and its great peoples.
“Which is why today, with the utmost humility, I’m 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.”
Osinbajo’s declaration came few hours after he met with APC Governors at his official residence at Akinola Aguda House in the State House, Abuja.
Osinbajo, at a dinner he hosted at the Presidential Villa for the breaking of the Ramadan fast on Sunday, informed the APC governors of his plan to succeed his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari whose tenure ends in 13 months’ time.
Osinbajo, who turned 65 last month, is a senior advocate of Nigeria and a former lecturer at the University of Lagos. He is also a senior pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
He began his public office career in 1988 as an Adviser to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Bola Ajibola, a position he held for four years.
The Vice-President was appointed Attorney-General of Lagos State in 1999 by then Governor, Bola Tinubu, and held the position till 2007, implementing several judicial reforms.
He was nominated as Buhari’s running mate in 2014 and was elected alongside Buhari in 2015. During his seven-year tenure as Vice-President, Osinbajo served as acting President for more than 120 non-consecutive days while his principal was on medical leave in London between 2016 and 2018.
Osinbajo will be contesting the APC Presidential primary against APC National Leader and former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu; the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
Others in the APC who are rumoured to be nursing Presidential ambitions include: Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
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