Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, minister of state for education, has received the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential forms from his support group, with a pledge to run for president in 2023.
THE WITNESS had reported that Nwajiuba, on Wednesday, bought APC nomination forms in bid to run for president, even as the Academic Staff Union of Universities remains on strike.
On Wednesday, a group, Project Nigeria, which claimed to have purchased the forms for him, during an event, presented them to the minister.
In his acceptance speech, the minister said President Muhammadu Buhari has achieved “extraordinary feats” in the last seven years, adding that a lot of work needs to be done.
“I will also like to thank with profound respect my fellow Nigerians, those who are present here and those at the nooks and crannies of our country, who have made their sacrifices,” he said.
“In making this contribution, it is their desire that they will have a regenerated Nigeria. It is that desire that has led them to identify me as their chief recruit for the job of moulding Nigeria along the path of our collective dreams.
“They have gathered resources from every part of the country and purchased the form for which the APC will nominate a candidate to fly its flag in the presidential elections in February 2023 and they have now presented this to me.
“I now solemnly accept to run for us all and bear our party’s flag into the elections and become our next president. I do this recognising that in the last seven years, President Muhammadu Buhari has performed extraordinary feats in ensuring that our progressive ideas have been established, both in the physical infrastructure of every type and inclusive policies for reaching out to our poor and underprivileged, as we strive to uplift Nigeria and Nigerians into a developed state
“However, a lot is still outstanding and needs to be done. Many of our citizens are still outside, many are hungry, many are unemployed, even many more are threatened by unwarranted and unnecessary internal security and economic challenges.
“This call today invites me to take up a work path that will build on the solid foundation that has been laid thus far and to choose to provide different paradigms for the new challenges and provide the platform for a vista that accommodates subject experts to pool together forces to meet our nation’s challenges.
“This is the path I propose to tread, having been properly schooled, experienced and tested in the last 30 years of active politics.”