A group of young professionals on Monday paid N40m to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms for the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to contest for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections.
The youths said they arrived at the decision because of their search for a capable Nigerian that can address the interest of youths and the country as a whole.
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Speaking after receiving the forms from the leader of the group, Saraki commended their effort in raising money to buy the forms.
He said that the gesture was a call on him to go ahead and win the election.
The Ex-senate president said, “What you have done is a symbolic message that you are mandating me to go out to the field and work hard among all our leaders, delegates, and other stakeholders to win the PDP presidential ticket come May as well as subsequently follow up with decisive victory in the general elections in February 2023.
“Your charge to me is to go there and make all Nigerians, young and old, northerners and southerners, Muslims, Christians, and people of other religions, operators in the private and public sectors, and members of different political parties, to join hands and fix Nigeria.
“With your action today, I do not have an option but to listen to the voice of the youths who represent 62 percent of the over 200 million Nigerians. That is why I want to promise that If I become the President of Nigeria, all positions of Ministers of State in the cabinet will be occupied by youths. This is a promise that I will not fail because I believe the ideas of the youths are needed to drive modern development efforts. And you know from my record that I have the boldness to implement this promise.”
Speaking earlier, the leader of the group, Abubakar Danmusa, expressed sadness at the current state of things in the country, which he said motivated them to resolve to be part of the process leading to the emergence of a new president.
He said, “After extensive deliberations, we have concluded that the situation of our country is so far from what it should be, if we have the right leadership. The country is not running as a functional entity that can bring the best out of her citizens and provide the best for the generality of the people.
“We want a candidate that will create a synergy between the private and business sectors. We want a man who will naturally earn the respect of the international community and the confidence of foreign and local investors and get them to establish factories and businesses.”
