Date: 2014-07-19

Senatorial Chairmen in Kwara State under the umbrella of All Progressives Congress(APC); Northern Youth Groups and a Non-Governmental Organisation known as Nigeria Need Positive Change Group as well as the ABS Leadership Sustainable Caucus have called on Senator Bukola Saraki to declare his intention to contest for the 2015 presidential election under the party’s platform.

The groups in different fora submitted that  the senator possesses all it takes to re-fix the country and salvage it from the verge of collapse.

The spokesperson of the Senatorial Chairmen in Kwara State who is also Chairman of the Kwara South Senatorial District, Alhaji Jimoh Balogun said at a press conference yesterday in Ilorin that Saraki possesses the description of what the party’s candidate should be.

The Chairmen in their statement delivered by the Kwara South Senatorial Chairman said “As groups had identified in the recent times the importance of electing credible, reputable and competent hands to the affairs of the country, we make bold to say that the right person for the project is our amiable leader, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki”.

Bukola’s entrance into the race, according to the chairmen, would rekindle hope of many Nigerians and arouse commitments of millions of Nigerian youths who believe in him to join in championing the cause of positive change in Nigeria come 2015.

The Chairmen who enumerated achievements of the Senator as a governor and even as Chairman of the Governors’ Forum stressed that his early declaration would give room for enough time to strategise and enlighten Nigerians towards the expected victory come 2015, adding that it would make APC more united and positioned for victory in the 2015 general election.

According to the statement,” Bukola’s candidacy would bring a lot of commitment and support from millions of Nigerians who have confidence in his ability to re-fix the country.

On the same development, Youths under the aegies of the North Central Youth Consultative Assembly added their voices to the latest development.

The group in a communique issued immediately after their meeting in Makurdi, Benue State capital and jointly signed by the chairman, Comrade Abubakar Ibrahim and Secretary, Comrade David Audu, said the present state of the nation called for the declaration of a purposeful leader like Saraki to serve as buffer between old and young generations and equally provide an all-inclusive government.

“It is in the light of deliberations and considerations that leaders of the 22 youth groups in the North Central and the Youth Assembly, after scrutinizing a list of candidates who have presented themselves for leadership from various regions of Nigeria, found none deserving the presidency.

“We therefore decide to call on Sen Bukola Saraki to throw his hat in the race to salvage the nation which is fast crumbling”.

In the same vein, an Ilorin-based Non-Governmental Organisation Nigeria Need Positive Change Group (NNPCG) joined the clamour for Saraki to join the 2015 presidential race.

The group in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Alhaji Mas’ud Aluko appealed to the senator to give his declaration a thought with a view to giving direction to the country.

Also calling on the senator to contest for the presidency, the ABS Leadership Sustainable Caucus said “this clarion call became necessary following his outstanding performance when he was Kwara State governor and chairman Governor’s forum respectively.

The group particularly attributed spectacular achievement recorded by the senator in the state such as construction of Aviation College, Kwara State University, engagement of youths into state and federal services, transformation of Kwara from civil service to industrial state, as well as his role on subsidy removal which currently gave birth to Sure-P and You Win programmes of the federal government where about 400,000 youths have benefited so far among others.