…says “I will be President for all”

Leading presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday declared that it was time to undertake strategic actions to fix Nigeria by revamping the economy, trade, education and health sectors.

The former Senate President stated that the actions also entail fixing the worsening state of insecurity, electricity and creating jobs for the teeming population of unemployed Nigerians.

Saraki, who spoke during a breakfast meeting with the media and friends on Thursday in Abuja to intimate Nigerians on why he decided to run for the 2023 Presidential election, insisted so much time has been wasted talking and engaging in blame games.

He described himself as an asset Nigerians need to advance democratic leadership, given his portfolio of experience as presidential aide, state governor and President of the Senate.

He said: “I acknowledge the great efforts of all our past leaders over the years. I pay my great respect to them all and I thank them for their service to our nation.

“However, as long as there is a child in Nigeria that cannot read or write, then the job is not done. And it is for this one child that I want to run for President, because I will ensure that the law on compulsory basic education is enforced and quality of teaching improves in all public schools.

“As long as there is an old woman in this country who cannot afford her prescription drugs for diabetes or malaria because she has no insurance coverage, the job is not done. And it is for this woman that I want to run for President, because I will ensure that people like her are covered; and that we are able to push our compulsory health insurance coverage from the current 7 per cent to 50 per cent in the first two years.

“As long as a single village or forest in this country is controlled by terrorists, or bandits or any other criminal groups; as long as any of our citizen lives in fear; as long as our soldiers and other security agents do not get the right training, the right equipment and the right incentives, the job is not done. And it is for these citizens that I want to be President, because I will do everything to protect the lives and properties of every Nigerian and everyone that live within our borders. I will ensure that all our men and women in uniform are well-trained, are well-paid and are well-equipped.

“As long as crude oil revenue remains the mainstay of our economy, and we remain so vulnerable to the volatility of international oil market, then the job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, because I will raise the revenue from the non-oil sectors to the same level as we currently earn from oil.

“My portfolio of experience at the executive level, and at the highest legislative institution of our country, makes me a unique asset in democratic leadership at a time that calls for consensus building, for cooperation and for compromise.

“I know how business works. I know how government functions. And I know how the legislature operates. This diverse experience stands me out. And I will bring the experience to bear in getting the most critical constituencies behind the tough decisions that we must take if Nigeria must survive.

“I will be President for all because I represent a Nigerian identity that is truly diverse, truly inclusive and truly Nigerian. I will be the bridge between the young and the old. I will be the bridge between the private sector and the public sector. I will be the bridge between Muslims and Christians. I will be the bridge between North and the South because I am the Nigerian for all Nigerians.”

2023: Nigeria doesn’t need part-time president, says Saraki

Saraki, who urged Nigerians to seize the opportunity presented by the forthcoming polls to choose hope, peace, security, unity and inclusion, noted that from his exposure to governance beginning from his position as Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, he has always been driven with a deep passion to serve, make a difference, impacting lives as much as possible, and to leave a lasting legacy.

“We all have reasons to be worried about the future of this country. But this is not the time to surrender and wallow in despair. Rather, this is the moment, when all patriots and citizens of goodwill must show courage, rise above those lines of divisions that have kept us apart over the years and ask this very important question: where do we go from here?

“…The stake has never been higher for our country. This is the moment that we must put in everything we have to save this nation, because what we have today is not our country. This certainly, is not the Nigeria of the dreams of our founding fathers and those who came after them.

“Where has this our Nigeria gone? How can we rediscover it and make it even greater for our children and for generations yet unborn? This is the reason I am running. I want to be President because I believe that this Nigeria is still possible in our lifetime.

“I am aware that even now, many are asking, what am I going to do differently; what I am I going to say which has not been promised in the past? I know that even for those of you listening to me in this room, you are probably telling yourself right now, “Haven’t we heard all these before?”

“Yes, you have the right to be sceptical. Yes, you have heard all these before. But here is what will make the difference. I will do what I have always done: I will arrive in the office with a well-thought-out plan of my own; I will implement my plans with courage and conviction; and I will work every single day as if it would be my last.

“We never lacked ideas in this country. We all seem to know what needs to be done. What we have missed is leadership; the ability to rally everyone and everything around agreed priorities, to set measurable targets, to be uncompromising in achieving results, and to accept no excuse or justification for failure. This critical vacuum is what I intend to fill. This leadership with a purpose is what I bring to the table, and this is what would make the difference.

“You may also ask; how long would it take to solve all these problems? I agree, the problems that we face are so many and so daunting that we may not solve them all in the lifetime of a presidency or even in our lifetime. But that is not the point. The point is not whether we would be able to solve all the problems; or whether I possess a magic wand that will turn our country into a paradise overnight.

“Indeed, we can be the generation that says, enough talk, enough lamentation, enough blaming each other. This is the time for action. This is the time for real work, this is the time to fix our Nigeria, and to make Nigeria work for all Nigerians. Join hands with me, let’s go fix Nigeria.”

The Star