Emefiele, Amaechi, Boroffice, Onu, Amosun Pick APC Presidential Nomination Forms
• Nigerians Can Trust Me, Says Onu • Ex- NNPC Staff, Mohammed Joins Race • Rebirth Group Raises Concerns Over ‘ Withdrawal Form’
THE Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, yesterday, joined the ranks of those aspiring to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in office on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC).
Besides, former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Senator Boroffice Ajayi, the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonaya Onu and former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun have picked the N100 million worth expression of interest and nomination forms of the party.
Also yesterday, a former Manager Operations at the erstwhile Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC), Yakubu Mohammed, declared that he would contest for the presidential ticket of the A PC.
The aspirants picked their forms through their proxies at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The Guardian gathered that three different groups purchased the forms for the CBN governor.
The groups, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Friends of Emefiele and Emefiele Support Group, said Emefiele was the only responsible and responsive person to succeed President Buhari.
However, the CBN governor has not officially indicated interest to run for the exalted office.
But the groups, which picked the forms for him, insisted that Nigeria was passing through a lot of economic and security challenges, noting that Emefiele, as CBN governor, has shown capacity, focus and courage even as he worked tirelessly with the economic team of Mr. President to keep the country’s economy afloat.
The minister of Science and Technology, Onu, who declared for the race in Abuja, yesterday, described himself as a man that Nigerians could trust, stating that Nigeria has the key to unlock its own prosperity.
He, therefore, askedhisparty and the electorate to elect him as Nigeria’s “Chief Servant”.
The minister recalled his days as governor of Abia when the state provided free healthcare to children and pregnant mothers in public hospitals.
“As a man of great compassion, and also believing that women are great builders of nations, I did not want any pregnant woman or child to die either during pregnancy or child birth, which are the most challenging periods in any woman’s life, just because the woman cannot afford to pay hospital bills.
Hence, all pregnant women received free treatment in public hospitals,” he said.
He urged Nigerians, particularly the youth, to know that Nigeria has a bright future.
He added: “Let there be nothing that can make any Nigerian lose hope about the future of Nigeria.
“The Almighty God that created us gave our dear nation everything that she needs to be a leader in the world. Working together, we will make use of knowledge economy driven by STI to make Nigeria truly great.”