2023 Presidency: Tambuwal joins race, as Peter Obi gives condition
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, and Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has formally entered the race for the 2023 Presidential election. This is, however, as the former Vice Presidential candidate of the party at the 2019 General Election, Dr Peter Obi, gave a condition to enter the contest.
Tambuwal who made his declaration open after a stakeholders’ meeting in Sokoto, noted that he will run under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The governor promised to fix the problems Nigeria face as he praised himself for good leadership without corruption charges.
Tambuwal lost the 2019 PDP presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Meanwhile, former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has revealed that he will contest in the 2023 presidential election, only if the PDP zones the icket to the South.
Obi who made this call on Monday, via a statement issued by his media aide, Mr Val Obienyem, also noted that he will support the PDP irrespective of whatever decision it takes regarding the zoning of the post.
“All the elections that I followed in the past, the party that I belong to today, the PDP made a pronunciation and took a stand. At least in 2019 when I was involved, where I can say Atiku graciously chose me as his running mate which I remain eternally grateful to him for, the party decided that the candidate should come from the North and that was what the party decided.
“And I believe that the party owes it a duty to say what their stand is. If their stand today is south, be rest assured I am aspiring, if they say north, I can’t do otherwise or they chose the option that everybody is free, then, of course, you will be hearing from me,” Peter Obi said.
The former governor, while affirming his commitment to building a better Nigeria, advised all and sundry to choose a candidate who is competent and most importantly has integrity.
“What we are looking for in this country today are people of integrity, people of conscience, people who are less greedy. Educational qualification is not a measure of integrity; it doesn’t guarantee that somebody is less greedy or that people have a conscience,” he said.
“I have seen people here acquire what they don’t need. I saw it while I was serving, to fight corruption here, you need somebody who has integrity, who is not greedy, who has a conscience if you have that, fighting corruption is easy, because, if you who is in charge is not stealing, you will reduce stealing by 50 to 70 per cent.
“And it is critical that you have somebody who is like that. It is not when people are acquiring lands, houses, everything they don’t need; they want to live a lifestyle that is far beyond the economy of Nigeria, far beyond their earnings; that is why the place is collapsing. That is why we have insecurity, that is why we have poverty. We need to manage the costs efficiently, and these are the critical areas as you people know, as you look for people who will govern the country in the future”, he added.