2023: ‘I’m one of the three people IBB had in mind for presidency’ – Doyin Okupe claims

 Former presidential aide, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has claimed he was the one that former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), had in mind when discussing Nigeria’s ideal next president.

NewsWireNGR reported last week, how Babangida had said that Nigeria’s next president should be an individual who speaks to the citizens, understand economics, and have friends in every region. He also siad he had seen Nigerians who have these qualities, and that they are in their sixties.

“I have started visualising a good Nigerian leader. That is, a person who travels across the country and has a friend virtually everywhere he travels to, and he knows at least one person that he can communicate with.” Babangida had said.

However, in a live programme on Arise TV on Friday, Okupe said that the former head of state “had me in mind” when he listed those qualities.

“There’s no local government in this country that I’ve not visited five times. I’m the most fairly well-prepared person to be president.”

Continuing, he said, “I think IBB got it right; believe me sincerely. That person should be one person who can pick up his phone and call at least one person in every local government of the country.

“That means he must be somebody who has socially interacted across sections of Nigeria and understands the terrain.

“I’m in my sixties, and I believe [that] by what IBB had actually said — I’ve not spoken to him — I have a feeling that he had me in mind. I must be one of the three persons he had in mind.

“Believe me, sincerely, there’s no local government in this country that I’ve not visited five times; there’s none. And I’m the most fairly well-prepared person to be president.”