Former President of the Senate and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Bukola Saraki, on Monday, declared that the development and progress of Nigeria were being hampered because of the country’s fragile unity.
Saraki said Nigeria therefore requires a leader who has both legislative and executive experiences and imbued with the capacity to unite the people for the country to move forward.
He spoke in Abeokuta while addressing PDP delegates in Ogun State at the party’s state secretariat ahead of the forthcoming presidential primaries of the opposition party.
Saraki, former governor of Kwara State, had earlier held a closed-door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence located within the expansive Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) complex in Abeokuta.
According to him, he is the only presidential aspirant with the energy and capacity to carry the workload of the office of the President among those jostling to succeed incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
He pointed out that only a President that is up and running can address the worsening insecurity, bad economy and disunity in the country.
Saraki said, “We need a President who will stand, bold and courageous. We all know four years as the Senate President, I stood for this country, I stood for what I believed was in the interest of this country.
“Let us find that person who has the energy because the work of a President is not part-time, especially now that the country is very bad. Nigeria needs a President that is up and running, not a President that will be giving instructions because when you give instructions and you don’t check, nothing will happen.
“You need somebody that has the energy to do it. I believe that I have that energy and capacity to do it.”
The former President of the Senate observed that Nigeria is in a very delicate situation now, adding that any wrong choice of leadership could spell doom for the country.
“We are in a very delicate state as a nation and we need somebody who has the experience, somebody who can unite us because without unity, we cannot go anywhere,” he added.
At the PDP secretariat, Saraki explained that a highly knowledgeable leader can address the much talked about restructuring of the country towards enabling it to overcome its challenges.
He bemoaned the rising rate of youth unemployment and wanton loss of lives occasioned by the daily activities of suspected bandits, kidnappers and insurgents in the country.
The PDP presidential aspirant recalled that under the Obasanjo administration , Nigeria was much safer, a feat he attributed to the strong and decisive nature of the country’s leadership then.
Saraki said: “We cannot say we want to vote based on sentiment. This country needs a president that has the capacity and knowledge, not a president that desires people to guide him on what to do.
“We need a president that can unite Nigeria because the unity of this country is very fragile now. There is nothing we can do without unity in this country. Let’s look for a leader that can unite Nigeria.
“When I was S.A. to President Obasanjo, you saw what Nigeria was, how investment was coming in. We need a courageous president, we need a president that understands medical services. If you elect me, I will ensure that primary health care is free for all. I am a man of words and actions.
“I have the capacity to do what could not be done for over a decade if given the chance to unite Nigeria. We need a president that is courageous and strong. You all know that my four years as Senate President, I stood for this country.”
He assured that if elected as president, he would leverage on his experiences in the legislature and executive arm of government to successfully restructure the nation without contravening its Constitution.
