Dear Nigerians,
It is with great delight that I address you all today. In the name of Jesus the Christ to whom we owe our lives as Christians I come before you as a humble servant determined to change the course of our nation’s history for good. In the name of the great Man born in Nazareth whose glorious resurrection we had just celebrated as Christians I speak to you today convinced that the future of our nation is bright despite the present challenges. No one can deny the fact that we have experienced a lot of challenges and difficulties in the last seven years my boss and I have been in power.
Of course I know you are aware of my recent declaration for the presidency of our grerat nation. Towards the presidential poll of next year’s February I am officially now a candidate for the primaries of our party, the APC, next month of May. Before the primaries that would produce the ruling party’s official candidate for the presidential election I consider it imperative tabling before you the reasons that informed my decision to join the race.
I want to succeed my boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, because God had spoken to me to that effect! The Supreme Being had told me during our metaphysical encounter lately that I was the chosen one! As a strong believer in His mighty powers I cannot but obey His Command.
President Buhari has transformed the country despite the security challenges and other sundry national issues we had encountered in the governance process. It is always easy and cheap to haul insults and criticisms toward those in power. Our constitution, the supreme law that guides our collective existence as Nigerians, guarantees freedom of entreprises, association, expression and speech. So every Dick and Harry are entitled to their opinion no matter how puerile or ridiculous.
Our APC administration has tried our very best to operate under the constitution despite provocations and petty politics from our political adversaries. My boss and I had tolerated dissent and accommodated the opposition tantrum. We have pushed hard for reforms that would, in the longer term, see our country producing enough food to feed our increasing population.
We have empowered many of our compatriots through schemes like Tradermoni, agro loans etc. We had fed millions of students across the federation. Through these interventions aimed at ameliorating the living conditions of the poor and vulnerable members of our society we have achieved some modicum of success.
Fellow Nigerians, (Christians, Muslims and animists), we have indeed come a long way and gone a long way in our determination and efforts to see our country grow and prosper. Critics can say whatever they want but our achievements are there for even the blind man to see or touch. I cannot enumerate them here in order not to be seen to be beating our own drums.
Some uncharitable arm-chair critics are saying that I, as a lawyer and Pastor, have not been vocal enough in denunciation of the regime I am part of. The Bible enjoins us to pray for those in authority. It is counter-productive for me to be seen against a democratic order I am privileged to be a top member of.
One so-called Professor and social critic based in America had alleged disingenuously that I had participated in a prayer session in my hometown where prayers were said for Buhari to ‘die’ so that I can take over! That was a lie from the pit of hell! It was not worth posting a rejoinder otherwise my able media team led by Pastor Laolu Akande would have done so professionally since.
I confess that it has not been an easy task for the past seven years. We had encountered the ‘Nigerian factor’ along the line but we have managed to stabilise the system moving resolutely ahead. We are determined to engineer more progress as our second tenure nears its end.
Nigeria is a very difficult country to manage. With a huge population of more than two hundred million souls of diverse cultural, religious and ethnic differences leadership cannot be described as a job for the faint-hearted. Lazy mortals would have been consumed by the invectives and mudslingings that are our daily ‘rewards’. Yet we are soldiering on, convinced that history and posterity would reach a good judgement on our administration at the fullest of time.
President Buhari and I have done our very best to position Nigeria for future greatness long after our departure from the national political scene. As the President retires to his cows in Daura next year May the choice for a worthy successor presents a challenge before us worth surmounting.
I have, therefore, decided, after much cogitation and wide consultation (including the President himself) to throw my hat into the ring for the 2023 presidential electoral exercise. Of course, I know that my former boss and benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a great patriotic Nigerian, is equally in the race for 2023.
Compatriots, while I have nothing personal against the National Leader of our great party I am convinced that the spirit of fair-play would prevail at the end of the day when a winner would emerge. I would be the first to congratulate Asiwaju Tinubu if he emerged our party’s flagbearer for the election. I expect him to do the same in the event of my emergence. No politics of bitterness or rancour should be allowed to divide our ranks!
Asiwaju and I are gentlemen and the interest of our nation ought to supercede any other interest. Any emotional or sentimental consideration must be discarded in the interest of our party’s chances of victory at the polls.
Asiwaju Tinubu exhibited quality leadership in Lagos as Governor of the state for eight eventful years. I was part and parcel of that excellent team that transformed the state of aquatic splendour into a prosperous bustling mega city-state.
However, while I hold Asiwaju Tinubu in the highest esteem I make bold to declare that his political baggages would weigh heavily against his presidential ambition. I am talking about the alleged mega corruption he supervised in Lagos, the Alpha Beta money-spinning machine, the ‘bullion van’ graft issues, the certificate forgery matter etc. Worse still, we must know which name between Bola Tinubu or Amuda Sangodele is the real thing!
If I were to be in his shoes I would have thrown my weight behind a ‘godson’ that I was. But he may not do it because of the promises he had made to many sycophants like Joe Igbokwe and many thugs at his beck and call, all eating fat through his magnanimity. Tinubu remains a benevolent godfather in whom many are pleased! I am eternally grateful for what he did for me in the course of my political career.
Yet the gospel truth is that the northerners are afraid of what he would do the moment power slips into his hands! Many dislike his guts and many more fear his independent-mindedness. Many more are apprehensive of his propensity for sophisticated fraudulent activities, in and out of power in Lagos. I know what I am talking about because I am an insider in the power play.
Besides, his health profile does not give any hint of a healthy presidency. He ought to relax and manage the ailment associated with old age. Nigeria needs a much younger agile President in tune with realities on the ground. A leader accepted by all and sundry across the board.
I want to succeed President Buhari because it is the right thing for me to do at this critical juncture in our nation’s chequered history. I want to succeed him because I want to continue from where he may have stopped next year’s May. Continuity here remains a sacred duty for me. And the Most High is on my side
Let the best candidate win in both our primaries and the presidential poll itself. If Asiwaju Tinubu is chosen as the APC representative and if he is elected President then all of us would be happy to rally round him. If he loses then he must be magnanimous enough to accept his defeat with equanimity. Any attempt to decamp from the APC to another party in order to achieve his so-called “life-long ambition” of ruling Nigeria would spell doom for his political career.
My last word is that President Buhari has confidence in me that I will deliver upon being elected President to replace him. He trusts me and knows my capacity. Having worked with me for many years now no one can tell him anything about me that he is not in the know of. Succeeding him, therefore, is just a matter of time!
Thank you for your rapt attention. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
