By Godfrey AKON
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has thrown his hat into the ring to contest for the All Progressives Congress’, APC’s, presidential ticket in the 2023 general election.
Nwajiuba was presented the pricy N100 million APC presidential nomination form by a coalition of youths, Project Nigeria Group, PNG, in Abuja on Wednesday, just hours after purchasing the form at the party headquarters.
The minister joins a crowded race of political heavy weights, the likes of Former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, among others, muscling through to clinch the party’s nomination to fly its flag in the 2023 presidential election.
Shortly after receiving the form, Nwajiuba, who was accompanied by his wife and some National Assembly members, said his acceptance to vie for the highest office was in recognition of the fact that despite the achievements of the current administration in the past seven years, a lot still needs to be done.
According to him, many Nigerian citizens are still outside, hungry, unemployed, as well as threatened by unwarranted and unnecessary internal security and economic challenges.
“Our calling today invites me to; take up a work path that builds on the solid foundations that have been laid thus far. Provide different paradigns for new challenges and provide the platform for a vista that accommodates subject experts to pull together forces to meet our Nations challenges.
“This is the path I propose to thread, having been properly schooled, experienced and tested in the last 30 years of active politics.
“I therefore invite our dear party and its great men and women, to forge that trust in me, as their new symbol of unity, growth, and regeneration as we step into the future with renewed zeal and optimism,” he said
While presenting the form to the minister, the Chairman of Project Nigeria, Alhassan Musa Aliu, noted that the country needs a change and a man like Nwajiuba, whom he described as a tested detribalised Nigerian has the trust of Nigerian youths to bring such a change.
On how the pricy form was purchased, the Coordinator Project Nigeria Group , Sariki Abubakar Dahiru, said different political groups from the 36 States of Nigeria pulled their resources together to buy it for Nwajiuba, adding that the group sees him as a transparent leader.
“Because of his transparency, hardworking and his dedication to his work, he is a detribalise Nigerian, we felt we need a youth” he said.
Also speaking, one of the PNG leaders, Dr Ndubuisi Ugochukwu, said the country needed a man with ideas, competence, capacity and a man who speaks the language of the 21st century to pilot the affairs of the country, adding that youths in the six geo-political zones, religious and traditional institutions had consulted and came up with the choice of Nwajiuba.
Earlier, after picking the nomination form for the Minister, a House of Representatives member, Hon. Chidi Wogu, described the presidential aspirant as one of the oldest and most reliable politicians.
“Not oldest in terms of age, he’s actually a young person. And you can see a young group who are supporting him. This is actually a young group because of the not-too-young-to-run act.
“The president promised that this time around anyone who is going to run for presidency must be under 60 and these young people come together.
“When I saw their seriousness I decided to coordinate with one group we put together the money and we have come today to show the seriousness by being the first to purchase this form and they find him credible, they find him hardworking.
“For 30years he’s been in politics, unblemished very humble open door policy lawmaker and also a very major supporter and detribalised Nigerian,” he said.
