Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has called on delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to vote for an aspirant they trust and believe in.
APC Presidential Primary 2022
Speaking at the ongoing APC convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja, Osinbajo assured delegates that he’s ready for the task ahead and will deliver from day one if elected as the party’s flagbearer.
He said, “First, let me begin on a solemn note. I join you and the good people of Ondo State in mourning the victims, men, women and children, of the heinous and dastardly terrorist act that took place at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, and other victims of terrorism across the country. And I pray that the Lord God Almighty will comfort their families, and that we will never see a repeat of these heinous acts in our nation again.
“I’m deeply honoured to stand before you today and to share this platform with 22 other exceptional members of our great party who, today, vie for the preferment of the Presidential candidate of our great party, the APC.
“Like most of us here, I am a Nigerian. I was born here. My parents were born here. I went to primary, secondary school and university here. I have worked here all my life. This country has afforded me most of the education and opportunities and the world view that I have.
“I have seen and experienced the great prospects of Nigeria. I know that it is possible for us to have a world class educational system; it is possible to have world class healthcare system for all Nigerians.
“You cannot wish this country well and vote for somebody you don’t believe in. So, our dear delegates, when you vote tonight, be sure and know that your vote carried the answer to the prayers you have prayed for the future of our country – our children.
“Over the past several weeks, I have gone the length and breadth of this country. I have engaged with you deeply and wee have had wide-ranging consultations. We have reasoned together about the future of our country and by the grace of God I have served for the past seven years as Vice President. I have seen firsthand the nuances and complexities of the challenges that confront us as a nation.
“One thing is certain – our circumstances will not afford the next leader of our country any time to learn on the job. In discharging my duties as Vice President for the past seven years, I have been prepared in the most profound ways for the task that lied ahead and I will be ready from Day One”
“We have the talent, the resources and the resourcefulness to be one of the world’s leading economies. We have the guts and the confidence to beat the world. We can run an open, honest and transparent government; we can ensure the rule of law, we can secure our nation from terrorism, we can provide good paying jobs for millions of young people.
“In this decade, we can lift 100 million people out of poverty, we can give all women equal education, equal opportunities, and we can establish a comprehensive social welfare programme for the poor and vulnerable. And fortunately, we are not starting from zero; we have already in this administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, we have begun the most ambitious infrastructure investment in the history of our country. We have revolutionized Agriculture.”
Meanwhile, Bola Tinu in his speech described himself as the most experienced and formidable among the 23 aspirants, recalling his achievements as Lagos State governor where he turned the state into the fifth largest economy in Africa.