2023: Ex-Eagles’ Captain, Joseph Yobo, others float movement for presidency

A former captain of the Super Eagles, Joseph Yobo and some youth leaders across the country, have unveiled a Grassroots Mobilization Initiative (GMI), on Monday in Abuja.

According to them, GMI has been designed to provide a platform for galvanizing the support of Nigerian youths into mass action that will ensure that only credible candidates assume power in 2023 across the country, especially the Presidency.

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Yobo, who is the GMI Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, in his keynote at the event, expressed sadness over the inability of leaders to tackle the challenges of insecurity, poor economy, corruption, and unprecedented level of poverty in the country despite the enormous resources in the country.

“We admit Nigeria is a work in progress. As a nation, we have made some progress, but we want more, in fact, a lot more. If you look at the country currently, we are not where we should be.

“It is against the background that I and some others of like minds have taken it upon ourselves to come together and speak out for the benefit of our country. We want a new leader that will consolidate the current good gains and move Nigeria forward.

“The 2023 elections are very crucial for the future of our country. From the North to the south, from East to the West, all Nigerians must be involved. It is with this at the back of our mind that we have delved into the current situation to speak to all Nigerians and say that it is time we learnt to do things a new way.

“We must move away from the politics of the past and do away with all the unconscious social and religious bias that tends to divide us all as a nation,” Yobo said.

He also said that the organisation would continue to advocate and mobilize Nigerians especially the young people to go register to vote, pick up their PVC, and be prepared to defend their votes.

Also, the national coordinator of the GMI, Samaila Musa, said that the organisation is apolitical but represents a movement by younger Nigerians committed to the task of rescuing Nigeria from the margins of in-consequence and collapse.

“This, without doubt, is a necessary step, because if Nigerians today need to hear the truth, they should be told that its past and present leaders have lost the energy and some of the courage to take up serious national issues and confront challenges around security, corruption and economy, and to manage limitations imposed by our diversity, interestingly this has nothing to do with political parties but individuals.

“With the strength of our members across Nigeria, we will mobilize Nigerians to look beyond self-interest, sentiment, and even political persuasion this 2023 election. Nigerians must ask the right questions and set timelines for the deliverables.”