South-South PDP Governor Visits Obasanjo, Speaks on Contesting 2023 Presidency

South-South PDP Governor Visits Obasanjo, Speaks on Contesting 2023 Presidency

  • The governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa, has said he is yet to decide whether or not to contest for president in 2023
  • Okowa was cited as saying this when he met with Nigeria's former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Tuesday, April 5
  • The Delta state governor said he decided to visit Obasanjo to consult with him on the need to address the country’s socio-economic and insecurity challenges

Abeokuta, Ogun state - Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state met former President Olusegun Obasanjo behind closed doors in Abeokuta, Ogun state, on Tuesday, April 5.

Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo’s media aide, said the meeting took place at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Penthouse residence, Abeokuta, adding that it was a private one, Daily Trust reported.

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Delta State, PDP Governor, Obasanjo, 2023 Presidency
Governor Okowa said he has not decided whether to contest for the presidency in 2023 or not. Photo credit: @daily_trust
Source: Twitter

He quoted Okowa as saying his visit was part of a consultation on the need to address the nation’s socio-economic and insecurity challenges.

The Delta state governor said Nigeria is “badly troubled”, and it is high time leaders like Obasanjo and other stakeholders, were consulted in order to find lasting solution to the nation’s challenges.

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His words:

“It is time the country has to come together, all well-meaning people, all stakeholders must come together to think Nigeria first. We need the collective effort of all at this period.
“This is something that is threatening the fabric of our unity and not something we have to play with."

He added that “the situation is getting worrisome and it’s time we all have hands on deck to be able to find solution.

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“As it stands today, the APC government alone would not be able to deal with it and they need to find wide and a far-reaching consultation, not with those in government alone, but, all stakeholders, particularly those who have been part of running this country before and now, including even religious leaders we need to sit together and discuss the way forward.”

The governor described Obasanjo as “someone who truly understands Nigeria”, saying the country needs to tap from his experience and knowledge to tackle its challenges.

I've not taken any decision on 2023 presidency, says Okowa

Meanwhile, Governor Okowa said he has not made up his mind on whether he would vie for presidency in 2023 or not.

He said:

“As at today, I have not made up my mind. The important thing is not about myself, is about the nation, Nigeria. The future of hope. What level of consensus can we build in order to achieve our dream. Our dream is to see Nigeria begin to have an improvement in our security and in the level of economy. These are somethings we have not achieved at the moment.”

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“The country is so stressed, so much stress in the land, so much unemployment, so much inflation and unfortunately the things that unite us are badly threatened and we cannot even be sure of tomorrow. These are the things we must discuss. We must all come together to stop this tide of drift at the moment, that is the type of things we should be more concerned about."

Nigeria needs him: Saraki, Tambuwal, others agree on who should be VP in 2023

Meanwhile, during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday, April 5, some bigwigs and presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chose Governor Okowa to vie for the position of vice president in the 2023 polls.

The meeting was attended by Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, and a former managing director of FSB International Bank Plc, Alhaji Mohammad Hayatu-Deen.

The presidential aspirants agreed that Governor Okowa is the man for the job based on his impressive track record in governance.

Source: Legit.ng

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