The Nigerian Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will formally declare his intention to vie for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress on Monday.
Osinbajo tweeted early on Monday:
“I am today, with utmost humility formally declaring my intention to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the platform of APC.”
The text of his announcement reads:
“In the past seven years, I have served as Vice President under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari.
”We have, together, worked through some of the most difficult times in the history of our Nation, but we have remained focused on securing the country, providing infrastructure and growing our economy”.
” I have been to practically all local governments in Nigeria. I have been in markets, factories, schools, and farms. I have been in agricultural, mining and oil-producing communities; in the Delta, in Kebbi, Enugu, Borno; Rivers, Plateau and Ondo; and in all other states of the federation, listening to the diverse experiences and yearnings of our people.
”I have visited our gallant troops in the North East and our brothers and sisters in the IDP camps. I have felt the pain and anguish of victims in violent conflicts, terrorist attacks, flooding, fire and other disasters.
”I have been in the homes of many ordinary Nigerians in various parts of the country. I have sat with our technopreneurs in Lagos, Edo, and Kaduna, with our Nollywood and Kannywood actors; with our musicians, from Lagos, Onitsha, and Kano. And I have spoken to small and large businesses.
”I stood where they stood and sat where they sat. I know their hopes, aspirations and fears; and I believe that in those hopes and aspirations are the seeds for the great Nigeria that we all desire.
”I believe that the very reason why the Almighty God gave me these experiences, these insights, and these opportunities, is that they must be put to the use of our country and its great peoples.
”Which is why I am today, with utmost humility, formally declaring my intention to run for the Office of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.
”If by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity, then I believe that first, we must complete what we have started; radically transforming our security and intelligence architecture, completing the reform of our justice system focusing on adequate remuneration and welfare of judicial personnel.
”We will work together by the grace of God. The Nigeria of our dreams in a few short years. We will build on the foundation laid by our predecessors. We will need to move, with much speed, intentionality, and perseverance, towards the vision of a prosperous, stable, and secure nation.
”I am convinced beyond doubt that we have the creativity, the courage, the talent, and the resources to be the foremost black nation on earth. Let us now birth the expectations of greatness conceived generations before us.
”Let us build a Nigeria where the man from Nnewi sees the man in Gusau as his brother, where the woman in Warri sees the woman in Jalingo as her sister, where the love of our nation burns alike in the hearts of boys and girls from Gboko to Yenogoa.
”Where everywhere, in this land, is home for everyone, where our diversities, tribes and faiths unite, rather than divide us.
”Let our tribes become one tribe; the Nigerian tribe, where all are treated fairly, justly and with respect–where all are given equal access to the abundant opportunities that God has bestowed on this nation. It’s time.
”God bless and keep our Republic and its great people.’’
Born on 8 March 1957, Oluyemi Oluleke Osinbajo is a Nigerian lawyer, professor, and politician, who is the 14th and current Vice President of Nigeria since 2015. A member of the APC, he previously served as Attorney General of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and holds the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
He is a graduate of the University of Lagos and the London School of Economics. Shortly thereafter, he started lecturing at the University of Lagos while practising law until 1999. That year, Osinbajo was appointed Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the cabinet of Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu. After serving during both of Tinubu’s four-year terms, Osinbajo left government in 2007 and returned to law and lecturing along with preaching in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.[2]
Prior to the 2015 presidential election, Osinbajo was chosen as the running mate to APC nominee Muhammadu Buhari. Their ticket went on to defeat the then-incumbent duo of President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo. Four years later, the ticket was re-elected over the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Osinbajo’s tenure has been marked by his rising profile, especially when he took power as Acting President while Buhari went abroad. Actions taken during his brief stints as the leader of the nation were decisive but contrasted with Buhari’s style and were controversial among Buhari’s inner circle.
See the full video of his announcement below:
