Ekiti State governor and presidential hopeful, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has justified the number of aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket.
Speaking while receiving members of the National Prosperity Movement from North-East and North-West at his campaign office in Abuja, Fayemi said the 2023 general election is about the ruling party.
He said: “We are once again in the throes of another national electoral cycle at which Nigerians across the length and breadth of the nation will be called upon to designate their preferred choice for the leadership of our beloved country.
“As can be expected, our great party, the APC, will be a key factor and actor in the election. And that is as it should be, given that we are the ruling party at the federal level and responsible for governing 22 states in the federation.
“Easily, we are the most national of parties. We also remain the most sought-after political association in the land.
“It will not be an exaggeration, and I know most of you will agree as well, that given our present preponderance in the national political system, the forthcoming election will be very much about us as a party as about anything else. “Nigerians reposed considerable trust in us when they voted us into office in 2015 and renewed our national mandate in 2019.
“That trust also came with and continues to carry enormous responsibility that we have tried, even in the face of various odds, to discharge as faithfully as possible. As it is, all things considered, we are the party to beat in 2023.”
The chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) dropped the hint that he would soon unveil his blueprint to tackle insecurity, banditry, unemployment, poverty, inequality, threats of national disintegration and lawlessness.
He assured that a detailed blueprint with corresponding timelines of implementation will be employed to guide the speedy and accelerated retooling of key institutions of state, including the armed forces, the police service and the civil service.
“The renewal of the capacity, agility and credibility of the key institutions of state must necessarily be accompanied with comprehensive policy initiatives designed to tackle the roots of the problems that have continued to wrack our country and test the hopes of the citizenry,” he said.
Fayemi also assured Nigerians of enduring programmes to mitigate biting poverty in the country.
“We are the inheritors of a country of destiny. We are proud to be Nigerians and proudly Nigerian at all times and under all circumstances. The unity, peace, security, progress and prosperity of our country are paramount to us. We need to create opportunities for all Nigerians to be able to achieve their highest aspirations as free citizens operating within the ambit of the law and with a spirit of solidarity that says that as a people, we shall walk together, hand in hand, in a forward march to destiny.
“I present myself to you as your humble servant, ready and equipped to lead us in harvesting the opportunities of the times and overcoming the challenges of the season to lift our country to the next level in our journey of transformation. Let’s do this together. History is on our side. Victory is ours.”
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