Osinbajo and Oba of Benin during the visit. Photo: gbemisola300
- Pledges: ‘I will use all of what I have to serve this country.’
“I am well equipped to lead the country due to the exposure I have working with President Muhammadu Buhari, which has exposed me to critical decisions and programmes about Nigeria,” the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo declared on Thursday at the palace of the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II.
He said that in terms of preparedness, exposure and experience, he stands out among all aspirants vying for the APC presidential slot; noting that his position as vice- president was God’s plan for him to garner requisite experience to serve Nigeria as president in 2023.
Osinbajo, who was in Edo State to meet with delegates of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the party’s presidential primary election, said: “I am here today on a political visit but for obvious reasons, I made sure I started from the palace. But I am here to consult with party members who are delegates in our forthcoming delegates’ convention.
“On April 11th, I formally declared to vie for the post of the president of this country. I have been exposed to many things in government. I commend the president who has been generous to ensure that I participate in every policy of the government. I have exposure to the highest level of government and the capacity to govern the country.
“I started teaching at the age of 24 and I have served in several capacities and I assure you that I will do the very best I can for the country if elected.”
According to him: “I have been given opportunities that many may not have had.
“I think those opportunities are meant to be for a particular purpose. And I think that time has come. This is the time when all of my experiences have now come to the fore. And I will use all of what I have to serve this country.
“This is really one of the reasons why I chose to run. There are those who may say ‘well, he’s just a politician speaking.’
“But I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that I believe that we have a real opportunity here to do something different for our country.
“I know everyone else who is running for office. Frankly, to tell you the honest truth, just in terms of preparation for the job, I don’t think I need to make a case.
“In terms of preparation for the job, no one else comes close to me.
“When I spoke about this once, one of the aspirants brought out their CV and I said, the truth is, everyone who wants to take over on May 29, at least everyone who is running today would need plenty of time to even discover where their green pen is. Very few people have the kind of training and experience that is required for this kind of job.”
Osinbajo said that since his official declaration for president in the last three weeks, he had met with various groups, including governors, delegates and party leaders.
Responing, Oba Ewuare II said he had always been an admirer of the Vice President’s eloquence and commended him for his respect for culture and tradition.
He took a swipe at the political class which he accused of always abandoning the electorate after elections, saying: “For the businessman, the customers are kings. In an election, the electorate are supposed to be kings but that is not what we have in Nigeria.
“We have leaders who get to the office and enrich themselves and forget that without the electorate, nobody can occupy any elected office. Some of these politicians use all kinds of tactics to get the votes of the electorate and at the end of the day, they abandon them.
“I want to appeal to the politicians to make this country great because Nigeria is blessed with great human and natural resources but Nigeria is still in a bad state.
“We want to be able to stay in Nigeria and enjoy the good things of life not in Dubai or in the US. Some Nigerians are even running to Ghana, we should change all these, Nigeria should be a destination point.”
He also commended the Buhari-led Federal Government for the role it is playing to ensure that stolen artefacts are returned to their original owners.
Oba Ewuare II said he admired Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for his eloquence and being a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
He said he and his subjects at the palace had started praying for Prof. Osinbajo, a presidential aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC), in his bid to become the president from May 29 next year.
The first-class monarch spoke yesterday at his palace in Benin, the Edo State capital, while receiving the vice- president, who was in the state to meet Edo delegates of APC, ahead of the non-elective convention of the party.
Osinbajo later had a closed-door meeting with APC leadership and delegates.
