Presidency: Badaru leaves Amaechi guessing, as minister gets emir’s blessing

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday stormed Dutse, the Jigawa State capital as part of his consultations for the presidency.

The minister, who led a large delegation of supporters including some former and serving members of the National Assembly and chieftains of the APC, had earlier visited the palace of the Emir of Dutse, Dr. Nuhu Muhammad Sanusi.

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His meeting with Governor Badaru at the government house was brief as the governor declined to make an official commitment about Amaechi’s presidential ambition.

The governor said he would not make any commitment about his ambition, rather he would wait for the collective decision by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, (NGF) which he (Amaechi) would soon address.

He, however, lauded the minister for making Dutse one of the stations of the Kano-Maradi rail project of the federal government.

Amaechi, in an interview with reporters, described the meeting as productive and friendly but declined to give further insight into it.

However, at the palace of the Emir of Dutse, the monarch, who said he has had a long relationship with the minister, described him as an honest, detribalised Nigerian, a man of conviction, who believes in whatever he believes.

“Amaechi is a bridge-builder and a man that has Nigeria at heart at all times. I am optimistic that he has all it takes to become the next president of Nigeria,” he said.