Ahead of the 2015 general elections, members of the New Generation Nigeria, a youth organisation within Nigeria’s Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked the former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to run for the Presidency in 2015 on the platform of the party.
In a statement jointly signed by its president, Alhaji Musa Abdulkadir, Secretary-General, Otunba Philip Coker and Publicity Secretary, Chief Victor Anyawu, the group said it has come to realise that only a good visionary leadership can salvage the country from its challenges.
“Having studied the political mood of the country, we members of the New Generation Nigeria, a youth organisation within the All Progressives Congress, have come to realise that only a good visionary leadership would take Nigeria to the Promised Land.”
The group maintains Saraki is one of the most outstanding candidates within it’s party and one whose achievements as a one time governor is visible for Nigerians to attest to.
“That is why as a youth movement, we are calling on a former Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to run for the Presidency in 2015 under the platform of our great party,” it said.
Currently the Chairman Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Abubakar Bukola Saraki (born 19 December 1962) was elected governor of Kwara State, Nigeria, on 29 May 2003. He served two terms in office. In the April 2011 elections, he was elected Senator for Kwara Central, succeeding his sister, Gbemisola Saraki . He was a member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Saraki’s father, Olusola Saraki, is a former senator of Kwara State.
In April 2012 the police sent a letter to Saraki asking him to assist in their investigation of a case of “conspiracy, forgery and stealing N21,000,000,000 belonging to Joy Petroleum Ltd.” A Federal High Court in Abuja heard a request by Saraki for an injunction preventing the police from arresting him “to protect his dignity and prevent further harassment”.
Meanwhile, the National chairman of All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun, has said the party’s presidential candidate for the 2015 general election would emerge from an open contest where all interested aspirants, irrespective of geopolitical zone, will compete in a free and fair atmosphere.
Oyegun, who spoke in an interview with THISDAY, also explained why APC decided to challenge the conduct of the Ekiti State governorship election in court. He said the party was only out to check a growing culture of impunity signposted by the militarisation of the election and infringement on the people’s freedom of movement, on purpose to ensure that such did not happen during the governorship election in Osun State in August.
