A pro-democracy movement known as The Progressive Consolidation Group has continued to drum up support for the vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo as it visited Katsina State to market his candidacy for the 2023 presidency.
The tour was made despite Osinbajo’s denial that he was disinterested in the 2023 presidency.
“Prof. Osinbajo has not declared any interest whatsoever in the 2023 election, but he is rather focused on working in his capacity as vice president in the current administration to address all the compelling issues in the country and concerns of Nigerians, including finding effective and lasting solutions to security challenges,” said spokesman for Osinbajo, Mr. Laolu Akande, in a statement
Nevertheless, the PCG, during its meeting with the state governor, Mr. Aminu Masari, said it routed for Osinbajo to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 having seen his (Osinbajo’s) track record as a good party man and an administrator.
The national coordinator of the group, Mr. Ahmed Mohammed who led the delegation to Katsina yesterday told the governor that the vice president was not behind what the PCG was doing.
He said the movement was convinced that the Osinbajo presidency in 2023 would bring down tension in the country, facilitate unity and stability as well as accelerate progress in all sectors of the economy.
“The PCG is a pro-APC group, with membership cutting across of Nigerian civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, traders, labour and democracy activists in Nigeria, as well as students, artisans and people from various professional backgrounds, along with serving and past governors, current and former senators as well as members of the House of Representatives who are staunch stakeholders in PCG and the Nigeria project.
“We started our awareness in the area of good governance since March 2019, with a collective resolve to promote our great party, the All Progressives Congress, so as to ensure that our party produces Nigeria’s next president come 2023.
“Looking at the extant developmental challenges the country is contending, it is only wise for the party to choose a most qualified and most acceptable candidate to sustain and improve on the positive gains, achievements and legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“It is in view of this development that we, at the PCG, feel convinced that an Osinbajo Presidency come 2023 will bring down tension, facilitate unity and stability as well as accelerate progress in all sectors of the economy.
“Therefore, we are here before you to seek your support, wise counsel and advice towards accelerating the possibilities of collective success.
“Looking at his experience, capacity, eloquence, credibility and above all, the need for our party, and Nigeria to ensure focused continuity in power, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will make a great leader to fly our party and national flags very high.
“From within the system, we can extract elements to further enrich it and the nation at large. Prof Yemi Osinbajo is ably qualified to continue the policies and programmes of President Buhari, beyond 2023.
“We want His Excellency to also note that while the caretaker Committee of our party is currently preparing for new national executives that will produce credible candidates at all levels in 2023, we feel it is time to start consulting with major stakeholders in the party in order to get it right in good time. This is why we chose Katsina as the first point of the state visits,” Mohammed said.
Mohammed appealed to the other parts of the country to join the PCG in its mission to field the best “among us come 2023 for a greater Nigeria in line with the dreams of our founding fathers and the aspirations of our people.”
The coordinator praised Masari for “your good work in security, how you have been working tirelessly to keep the entire Katsina safe.”
He also lauded the governor’s “good work in the educational sector, with focus on the girl-child and Almajiri system, as well as the boost in the infrastructure and health care services by initiating an upgrade and expansion of all general hospitals, and other centres.”
Responding, Masari said the APC needed to be marketed in such a way that the electorate would understand what the party had done so far and why it should retain power in 2023.
He said the party had achieved a lot since 2015 in all areas of life despite the dwindling revenue.
