Former Senate President and Presidential aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said he would be president for all Nigerians.
Saraki who made the assertion during the ‘Breakfast with the Media and Friends’ held on Thursday, 12 May, 2022 in Abuja, said he wants to be president because this is the moment that Nigerians must put in everything to save the nation, adding that “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.”
The former Senate President who decried the fact that religious, ethnic, and regional sentiments and divisiveness has been a major threat to the country’s democracy promised that he will represent a Nigerian identity that is truly diverse and inclusive.
“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 be the bridge between the Muslims and christians. I will be the bridge between the north and the south, because I am the Nigerian for all Nigerians.”
Saraki noted that the 2023 presents a great moment of decision for Nigerians to choose hope over hopelessness; the moment to choose peace and security over fear and terror; the moment to choose unity and inclusion over division and exclusion, among others.
He advised that this is not the time for citizens to dwell on worrying about the state of the nation, but rather the moment to show courage, rise above those lines of divisions that have Nigerians apart over the years.
“Eminent citizens, highly respected leaders and operators of the Fourth Estate of the realm, my friends and colleagues, dear compatriots, let me start by thanking all of you for finding time to be with us this morning.
“It is no longer news that I am in the race for the PDP’s ticket to contest for the Office of the President. But I have decided to convene this session to let you know why I am in the race.
“For all that we have experienced in the last couple of years, the 2023 Presidential election looms large as another watershed moment in our political history. We must all acknowledge that some things have happened in this country in the last couple of years that no one could have imagined possible only less than a decade ago.
“2023 therefore presents us with a great moment of decision: the moment to choose hope over hopelessness; the moment to choose peace and security over fear and terror; the moment to choose unity and inclusion over division and exclusion; the moment that we draw a bold line in the sands of history and say, “no more,” and then move ahead as one people, as one nation, towards our God-assigned destiny as the greatest black nation on the face of the earth.
“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?”
Saraki who recalled that it has been witnessed in Nigeria where everyone was guaranteed a minimum standard of living, where the middle class thrived, where jobs were available and predictable, where crimes were punished, stressed that the challenge is how the country can regain its past glory and make progress, adding that this is the reason why he has decided to join the 2023 presidential race.
“In our lifetime, we have witnessed a Nigeria where everyone was guaranteed a minimum standard of living, where the middle class thrived, where jobs were available and predictable, where crimes were punished, where the civil service was efficient, where public utilities worked, and where Nigeria was the pride of every black man anywhere in the world.
“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,” he said.
He also pointed out that the country has never lacked idea of what need to be done, adding that what is missing is leadership and the ability to rally everyone and everything around agreed priorities.
“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.
“The point is that we can be the generation that starts it all. We can be the turning point generation; in whose time everything began to change. The generation that despite our differences, we are able to unite against poverty and hunger, because poverty and hunger spare no tribe or religion.
“We can be the generation that is ashamed to be labelled as the poverty capital of the world; and therefore, commit itself to do whatever it takes to remove this badge of dishonour on our country.
“We can be the generation that is collectively embarrassed to admit that we have more children out of school than any other country in the world and therefore resolve to ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of the circumstance of her parents, is guaranteed quality basic education.
“We can be the generation that commits to building a country on the principle of equal opportunity for all; a generation that gives equal chance to everyone; that is deliberate about policies that promote the inclusion of women and youth, as well as people living with disabilities; believing that we are only as strong as the weakest among us.
“We can be the generation that is determined to make ours the last generation in whose time people aspiring for public office would be judged based on the content of their character and their capacity not on which part of the country they come from, what language they speak or how they worship God. Let us be the last generation that would ask, “Where do you come from,” rather than “What can you do?
“Indeed, we can be the generation that says, ENOUGH TALK, ENOUGH LAMENTATION, ENOUGH BLAMING EACH OTHER — THIS IS 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,” Saraki stated.
The presidential aspirant assured Nigerians that he has the capacity to bridge the gap yo r rally everyone and everything around agreed priorities, and to deliver the dividend of democracy to all Nigerians.
“As long as some of our best and brightest brains still relocate to other countries to find fulfillment, then our job is not done. And this is why I want to be President, because I will develop targeted incentives to reverse the brain drain and keep our professionals in the country.
“I CAN DO IT! 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,” Saraki stressed.
