The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, in Rivers State, has said despite the number of aspirants vying for the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket, they must be willing to rally around and support whoever emerges candidate in the forthcoming primary elections.
This was as he said there was no need for hostility among aspirants as the ultimate goal remained the country’s unity.
According to a statement signed on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo spoke in Rivers in continuation of his nationwide consultations with stakeholders and delegates of the APC.
The statement was titled ‘APC has greatest potential to do the best for Nigeria, says Osinbajo in rivers.’
In his call for unity, the Vice President noted that all the aspirants that had made public, their intention to run for president under the APC, were progressives.
He said, “We are all progressives, we represent the same point of view that this country can be better; that we can improve the fortunes of our young people; that our country can be a great place. Every one of us has that desire, and every one of us can achieve that, given the chance.
“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve pointed out that there is no need for conflict of any kind, especially among presidential aspirants. All of us, who are presidential aspirants, have either worked together or eaten together in one place or the other. We are aspirants today, but only one person would emerge, and we must be prepared to work with that person.”
According to him, the best aspirant should be chosen to lead the party as its presidential candidate in 2023.
The Vice President also noted that the governing APC had the greatest potential to do the best for Nigeria and ensure its further development and progress.
“We are also, of course, completely at one on the idea that the party needs to be united. So, everything that needs to be done is being done and will be done to ensure the unity of the aspirants.
Our party is, as you know, not just the ruling party, but the party that has the greatest potential to do the best for this country,” he noted.
With regards to his consultations with the delegates, Prof. Osinbajo disclosed that “What we spent our time doing today was talking more about national issues, about issues of development; and we all affirm that we have to do a lot of work; we are willing and able to do the work.”
Before his interaction with the APC delegates and stakeholders in Rivers, the Vice President had paid a courtesy to the Rivers State Traditional Council led by the King Jaja of Opobo, Dr. Dandeson Jaja, Jeki V, Natural Ruler, Amanyanabo of the Opobo Kingdom, who is also the Chairman of the Council.
Informing the monarchs of his aspiration to run for president, he said, “Our country is at a critical phase in its existence and every country faces its challenges. Our country is facing some of the biggest challenges it has ever faced.
“This current administration has faced more security challenges than any other administration. But I am confident that, not only will we be able to tackle the challenges today, we will be able to tackle the challenges of the future.”
In his remarks, King Jaja of Opobo thanked the Vice President for his “good wishes” and for sending a representative to his 80th birthday celebration saying “That was very kind of you. Let us campaign in peace and let us not add to the challenges that we are going through already.”