Gbenro Adesina
The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Lagos, Tunde Bakare, today obtained the N100 million presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking for Osinbajo, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said that Osinbajo’s supporters contributed money to buy the forms.
His words on his Twitter page stated, “A passionate team of support groups and individual Nigerians from across the country have raised funds to support the purchase of APC nomination forms for the Vice President’s 2023 presidential bid. Today, the forms have been collected by representatives of the team just as the VP continues his interactions with APC stakeholders across the States. Today, he is in Cross River and Bayelsa States. It’s all about the desire and resolve of the VP to serve the people of Nigeria with all his heart, experience and insights.”
However, Bakare, who will officially declare his presidential ambition on Monday, May 9, 2022, at Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, personally obtained the forms at APC headquarters.
According to a statement, Bakare intimated Nigerians that he wants to serve Nigeria in the capacity of the president of the country.
The State reads: The statement read, “Having been privileged to serve Nigeria in various nation-building capacities, I intend to take a step further in the service of our beloved country and you, her worthy citizen, by running for the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is with utmost humility, therefore, that I write to formally inform you – distinguished citizens of our nation, elder statesmen and stateswomen, political leaders, traditional leaders, overseers of religious establishments, members of civil society, policymakers, students, public servants from the national and sub-national levels of government, stakeholders from the private sector, the intelligentsia, opinion moulders, thought leaders from various institutions of knowledge, and every Nigerian, home and abroad – of my intention to contest.
“Propelled by the desire to rebuild Nigeria into a nation that works for every Nigerian, I have, in the past, engaged in the political process as running mate to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 presidential elections under the Congress for Progressive Change, and subsequently, as the founding member of the All Progressives Congress who moved the motion for the merger that produced the APC.
“I have also served as a leader in the civic space as the Convener of Save Nigeria Group, a coalition of civil society groups that facilitated the rightful recognition of President Goodluck Ebe le Jonathan, first as Acting President, and then as substantive president, through a grassroots people movement and high-level advocacy.
“In 2014, it was my privilege to be selected as a South-West Delegate to the National Conference, where I proposed “The Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and Integration” that was unanimously adopted and incorporated into the final report.
“Furthermore, I have been actively involved in awakening collective citizen ownership through the pulpit as the founding Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, formerly known as The Latter Rain Assembly.
“I have, in addition, contributed to engendering social, political and economic shifts in Nigeria through propositional platforms, including through such initiatives as the New Nigeria Dialogues, the inaugural event of a think-tank I founded in 2009. I have also provided pro bono advisory services to government institutions through key policy inputs, while fostering coalition-building across divides, in addition to building thriving businesses in diverse sectors.
“I have remained committed to harnessing my local and international networks, platforms and resources towards the emergence of the New Nigeria. As I offer myself to serve you and to work with you towards the peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria, as well as the realisation of the enormous possibilities of a great nation in this decade, it would be a great privilege to welcome you as my special guest on the occasion of the formal declaration of intent.”
So far, nothing less than 15 southerners are already in the presidential race.
