Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and erstwhile Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, yesterday, submitted their nomination forms ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Similarly, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubukar Malami, submitted his nomination form for the Kebbi State governorship election.
Others who returned their nomination forms included Senator Sandy Onor, who declared his ambition to vie for the presidency under Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Nasarawa State governorship aspirant, David Ombugadu.
Atiku arrived the African Democratic Congress (ADC) national secretariat in Abuja in a convoy for the form submission.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Amaechi said, ‘’I would say that what you are seeing currently is that nearly everybody who is running for the office of the president has served Nigeria in one way or another. Let this be a referendum.
‘’If you have performed, whoever has outperformed the other, vote for the person. The next thing is, who is capable of delivering the votes? Who is capable of beating the incumbent? Who has the experience? I believe I am the most experienced. I am young, I am the most experienced, and I believe I have the capacity.
‘’That is as it pertains the country. Go back to Rivers State and see what I have done. Go back to Ministry of Transportation and see what I have done, and assess it and see whether I can turn the country around. And I will, in four years, turn the country around,’’ Amaechi stated.
The former governor of Rivers State urged Nigerians to vote for him because of experience and performance.
He said, ‘’Nigerians should vote for merit but not vote for those who say ‘I’m from this place’, ‘I’m from that place’, ‘vote for me because my people have not been voted for before’, or ‘it’s our turn’. It is, what do you call it – Emilokan – that brought us here. It is our turn that brought us here.
‘’It is the turn of Nigerians, because, you see, there is no market for Christians, neither is there a market for Muslims, or a market for northerners or southerners.”
Amaechi said there was a common market for every Nigerian.
He added, “Nigerians are suffering. They are suffering.
“The current president has put us in this suffering. I don’t know why he wants to run. I don’t even know why APC wants to participate. They should be in shame and allow other Nigerians to participate and change the country.’’
The former governor said he preferred direct primary election, stating, ‘’I’m going for (direct) primary. If the consensus is me, fine. But if it’s not me, I’m going for primary.’’
The PDP presidential aspirant, Onor, said, ‘’I’m a professor of history. I’m a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I think I’m about the only one in the race, once I’m given the ticket, who would enjoy the kind of robust engagement across the political trajectory that I have.
‘’I started my career elected as chairman of local government, a two-term local government chairman in Cross River State. During my time, I was chairman of chairmen. Deputy National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria.’’
Onor said he had grassroots experience, adding, ‘’I know the limitations of government and I’m ready and willing to make corrections when necessary and take Nigeria to heights that we are yearning for.
‘’So I believe that our campaign will be centred on the grassroots. We believe that the people of this country yearn for a change and we reflect that change.’’
Ombugadu said, ‘’I have received a mandate from the members of the screening committee to go and fly the flag of PDP to ensure that I return as the governor of Nasarawa State. That’s a wonderful prayer for me and for the entire supporters of those that believe in my vision in Nasarawa State.
‘’I have been in this party, I ran for the governorship in 2019, 2023, and it was a victorious outing. As I speak here, if you go through the iREV, you will see that we won the election. The facts are still there. The details are still there.”
