I will contest for president in 2023, Yerima declares

Former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima Bakura, has expressed happiness that the Islamic legal system he introduced while in the office is still addressing social vices like gambling, indiscriminate operations of beer parlours, harlots houses and many others in spite of the controversy trailing the introduction of the system.

The former governor also expressed his interest to contest for the seat of Nigeria President in the 2023 general elections because according to him, he is the most qualified person for the presidential office considering his track records both in public service and political office.

Ahmed Sani stated this on Sunday in Bauchi while answering questions from reporters after he paid a condolence visit to the families of renown Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi over the death of his wife and the Families of Late Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa over the death of his last surviving wife.

He said that there are various political groups from different parts of the country that have approached him to come out to contest for the number one seat in the country come 2023 and when he asked them why are they starting it at this time barely one year after the last general elections, they tried to convince him that in America, campaigns for the next election started after the swearing-in of the elected president “and by the grace of Allah I will contest for the seat in 2023,” he declared.

ALSO READ: Scores injured on Lagos-Ibadan expressway accident

He added that after serving as a governor for eight years, Senator for another eight years, there is nothing he will do again other than to contest for a President or Vice President.

The former governor said that APC has set a standard of producing a presidential candidate through direct primaries and by the grace of Allah he will contest the primaries even though “I don’t have money but since the standard is you will start contesting from your ward level people, will look for a candidate that has something to offer for the country, a common man will not look for money but will look for what I can offer in the services of the country.”

Ahmed Sani said that if elected, he will fight poverty and create more Jobs opportunities and infrastructures in order to address the basic problems affecting the socio-economic development of the country.

He also said that he supports the idea of privatizing government properties for infrastructural developments like roads, electricity and so on, “I assure you that once people have money in their hands, they will pay their electricity bills and toll gates bills, for that, we have to fight poverty and all its ramifications.”

The former governor said that President Muhammadu Buhari has done his best for the country even though every government comes with its challenges, but, “I will advise the government to do more in fighting poverty and unemployment by doing this it will address all the problems like insecurity and other threats affecting the development of the country.”

On the political tussle in Zamfara State, the former governor said that “this clearly shows that its Allah who gives power to whom he will he gave it to. Governor Matawalle under the PDP, we are one family, the present governor is my former commissioner and because of one reason or the other they defected to the PDP, but we are talking, we are discussion, we are one family in APC, we will close our ranks, we will be together in one party by the grace of Allah.”