By Haleema Yahaya
Nigeria’s former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, on Friday declared his ambition to join the 2023 presidential race on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).
Nnamani, who made the declaration during a media briefing in Abuja said of all the persons that have so far declared interest in the race, he considered himself as the most qualified for the job
With his pedigree as a one-time President of the Senate and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Constitutional and Electoral Reform, he said his wealth of experience makes him the right candidate.
Nigeria, he said, faces very tough challenges now more than ever, adding that the country needs a man of tested integrity and competence to mobilize them to overcome these tough challenges.
“Different periods require different kinds of leadership. In 2015, we needed a Buhari to take Nigeria away from the misdirection of the Peoples Democratic Party. I promise to improve on the legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari, May 29, 2023,” Nnamani said.
“In 2023, we need a leader who knows how to work across the divides and lead a coalition for competent and dedicated Nigeria to lay foundations for social stability and prosperity. “We need tested and trusted leaders who would reignite hope in the hearts of young Nigerians and unlock the competencies we are losing to other nations.
“In 2023, we will need a Ken Nnamani to help unite Nigeria, deepen democracy, and rebuild the social and economic infrastructure of sustainable development based on production and fair distribution.
“This is a season of politics. The season of politics is often a season of empty promises and of needless drama. Many people will make claims that are unrelated to reality. But this is not time for such frivolities. This is time for aspirants to present their ideas and visions for a better Nigeria. Such ideas and visions will be matched with the right pedigree.
“My pedigree and previous accomplishments in high office in Nigeria lend credence to the fact that I am a good fit to the challenges of this moment in Nigerian history. I am aspiring to be President in 2023, because I believe that at this period of grave crisis, Nigeria needs to be reinvented to be a modern, democratic state that prioritizes the socio-economic wellbeing of its citizens; to be restructured from inefficient consumption to production; and to be led with integrity and compassion.”
Namani said following the growing clamour that the next president of Nigeria should come from the South-east, the region owes other Nigerians the reciprocal respect of bringing forth the best to lead.
Nnamani said many south-easterners’ and other groups of Nigerians, especially his colleagues in the National Assembly, have asked me to avail the Nigerian nation the characteristic honest, competent, and disciplined leadership he is known for.
“If I am not convinced that I will provide the leadership that can overcome the tough challenge we are faced today, I would not express intention to be the candidate of my party for the 2023 presidential election”, he added.
The former senate president added that the high nomination fees parties ask aspirants to pay for elective offices in Nigeria need rethinking.
He stressed the need for the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to regulate both the costs of nominations and campaign expenses.
This, he said, was necessary” to improve the inclusion of youths, women and most Nigerians who earn salaries in an economy that has become distressed, largely on account of global economic meltdown and domestic insecurity and low productivity.”
