Nigeria\u2019s Senate President Bukola Saraki said on Thursday he will run for
\npresident in 2019, making him the highest profile contender to incumbent
\nMuhammadu Buhari announced so far.<\/p>\n
Saraki, Nigeria\u2019s third most senior political official, made the
\nannouncement at a political event with youths and young aspirants in the
\ncapital Abuja.<\/p>\n
Read Full Declaration Speech<\/p>\n
PROTOCOL.<\/p>\n
1.\u200bLet me say, once again, how wonderful it is to see so many talented and
\npurposeful young people at this first edition of the Public Dialogue
\nSeries with Political Parties on Youth Candidacy and Party Primaries.
\nLooking at you, I see future leaders who present themselves as capable and
\nworthy to take on the mantle of leadership in this country, and this
\ngladdens my heart.<\/p>\n
2.\u200bFrom my interactions with many of you, and with your contemporaries
\nacross the country, I can see that we are blessed with a determined
\ngeneration that stands ready to join with us to power a Nigerian
\nrenaissance. The quality of people I see here today affirms my belief
\nthat, indeed, you are Not Too Young To Run.<\/p>\n
3.\u200bI deeply appreciate this opportunity to share some of my ideas about
\nwhere we are as a nation, as well as the challenges before us as we
\napproach the great decider that is the 2019 General Elections.<\/p>\n
4.\u200bIt is widely acknowledged that ours is a relatively \u2018young\u2019 country
\nbursting with tremendous energy, ability and potential. More than 70 per
\ncent of our population is under the age of 40.\u00a0 You are indeed the future
\nof this country. Ordinarily, such a young population would be the envy of
\nmany Western countries that are faced with ageing populations, but the
\ndire state of our affairs tarnishes the youthful
\nadvantage that we have.<\/p>\n
5.\u200bUp and down our country today, Nigerians are crying out for succour.
\nMany of our children are hungry. Many people are dying of avoidable or
\notherwise treatable diseases. Many have fallen below basic living
\nstandards, and are now among the 87 million that sealed Nigeria\u2019s position
\nas the country with the highest number of people in extreme poverty. Our
\nyoung people lack opportunities. The necessary education facilities and
\nsystem to equip them for the future simply do not exist. We are not
\ncreating the jobs needed to usefully engage them in order to grow our
\neconomy. And too often, the youth feel shut out, prevented from having any
\nsay in the direction of this nation.<\/p>\n
6.\u200bThe harsh conditions of extreme poverty faced by the people, fuels the
\nstate of insecurity all over the country. Hunger, lack of education and
\nlack of opportunities push many Nigerians into criminal activities
\nincluding terrorism. Many of our communities are paralysed with fear – due
\nto incessant communal crises, kidnappings and other social ills, as well
\nas the threat of terrorism. We are failing abysmally to tackle the
\nproblems of today and to prepare for the future.<\/p>\n
7.\u200bOur economy is broken and is in need of urgent revival in order for
\nNigeria to grow. GDP growth rate has declined. Diversification remains an
\nillusion. Unemployment is at an all-time high. Businesses are shutting
\ndown. Jobs are being lost in record numbers, and the capital needed to
\njumpstart our economy is going elsewhere.<\/p>\n
8.\u200bNigeria is perhaps more divided now than ever before. We are
\nincreasingly divided along regional, religious and ethnic lines. Nigerians
\nare also divided by class, a festering gulf between the \u2018Haves\u2019 and the
\n\u2018Have-Nots\u2019. The fault lines of this nation are widening to an alarming
\ndegree. We must do something fast, and we must be brave about it.<\/p>\n
9.\u200bWe must ensure the security of lives in Nigeria. As things stand now,
\nno one is safe in this country. No one feels truly safe. We must restore
\nthe sanctity of the rule of law and strengthen democratic institutions in
\norder to build a just, fair and equitable society for all. We must rebuild
\nthe trust of our people in government. We need a new generation of leaders
\nthat are competent, with the capability to rise to the challenges of the
\n21st century. We must pull this country back together and rebuild, block
\nby block, with dedication and commitment.<\/p>\n
10.\u200bYou will agree with me that this is an urgent task that requires the
\nconcerted efforts of each and every one of us. If we look around today,
\nwhat do we see? What is the condition of our citizens? Where are we as a
\nnation? How are we perceived locally and internationally? Why are we not
\nmaking the expected progress? Why are we not growing? There is no time to
\nwaste. The time is now, to come together to stimulate growth in Nigeria,
\nespecially in the national economy.<\/p>\n
11. The choice we face in the forthcoming election is either to keep
\nthings as they are, or make a radical departure from the old ways. To find
\na better way of doing things or keep repeating the mistakes of the past.
\nTo fix the problems or keep compounding them.<\/p>\n
12.\u200bIt is with all these in mind, and taking account of the challenges
\nthat I have outlined, that I have decided to answer the call of teeming
\nyouth who have asked me to run for President. Accordingly, I hereby
\nannounce my intention to run for the office of President of the Federal
\nRepublic of Nigeria in the coming General Elections in 2019 on the
\nplatform of the People\u2019s Democratic Party (PDP). I do so with the firm
\nconviction that I have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for
\nNigeria and Nigerians.<\/p>\n
13.\u200bMy Plan for Nigeria has inclusion in all aspects of the country\u2019s
\naffairs as a central pillar. Every citizen has the inalienable right to
\nfeel a sense of belonging, no matter their background or creed, or what
\npart of the country they come from. No matter who you voted for or what
\nyour convictions are, government must work for you.<\/p>\n
14.\u200bYour generation does not deserve to live in the poverty capital of the
\nworld. It is no longer an issue of how we got here, but how do we get out
\nof this situation? I promise you that I will lead the fight and employ
\nevery God-given resource available to us in turning things around. I am
\ndetermined to grow Nigeria out of poverty. We will stimulate the growth of
\nSmall and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as one of the ways of energising the
\neconomy and to create wealth for our people, especially the youth.<\/p>\n
15. I want to see the youth play major roles at all levels, not only in
\ngovernment but also in the private sector and indeed in every area of
\nNigerian life. This will be a government driven by youthful energy,
\ninnovation and a pioneering entrepreneurial spirit. Nigerian youth will be
\ngiven all the opportunities to realise their potential to the full within
\na national framework that guarantees inclusiveness.\u00a0 For youth who have
\nideas and capacity, we will make sure that there is funding for their
\nventures; and we shall build on the Made in Nigeria legislation as part of
\nour job creation drive.<\/p>\n
16.\u200bMy plan is to secure Nigeria by redesigning our national security
\narchitecture, while adequately equipping our security agencies to fulfil
\ntheir primary role of protecting lives and property.<\/p>\n
17. I will address our infrastructural deficit through aggressive financing
\ninitiatives including mutually beneficial PPP arrangements, regular
\nfloating of bonds and other financial instruments, which will ensure
\nstable, adequate and reliable funding to see to the completion of core
\nprojects especially road, rail and power.<\/p>\n
18.\u200bMy plan is to protect all Nigerians and defend their constitutional
\nrights and freedoms. I will stand for and uphold at all times the
\nprinciple of the rule of law, which is the bedrock of democratic
\ngovernance.<\/p>\n
19. Ours will not be a selective fight against corruption. The emphasis
\nwill be on strengthening institutions, with a particular focus on
\ndeterrence. We cannot afford to compromise our institutions with proxy
\nwars against perceived political opponents. We see the fight against
\ncorruption as crucial to Nigeria\u2019s economic development.<\/p>\n
20.\u200bI offer leadership driven by empathy. Where leaders are responsive to the
\ncitizens. Where they know that government cares. We will not be
\nindifferent or turn a blind eye to the real concerns of our people. Every
\nsingle Nigerian life matters.<\/p>\n
21. For me, the leadership we deserve is one that will be a source of
\npride to all Nigerians, one that will be respected and admired in Africa
\nand around the world. It should be a leadership that can hold its own and
\nstand tall anywhere in the world. That is the type of leadership I offer.<\/p>\n
22.\u200bAs a former two-term Governor and currently President of the Senate by
\nthe grace of God, I believe I possess a unique blend of executive and
\nlegislative experience to push for and implement reforms that will deliver
\nreal improvements in the daily lives of our people. I know what it takes
\nto create jobs and grow the economy. I can make the tough decisions when
\nit matters. I will spearhead a new agenda that can transform the lives of
\nordinary Nigerians in real terms.<\/p>\n
23. Believe me when I say that it will not be business as usual. This will
\nbe a dynamic government of action that will pursue the growth of Nigeria
\nwith doggedness, determination and conviction. I will lead a result-driven
\nadministration. We shall set targets with clear timelines to ensure that
\nanticipated deliverables are met. You can benchmark us and hold us
\naccountable. In short, I assure you that I will deliver on all promises.
\nWhat I envision is a new chapter in governance in this country. We will be
\ndriven by what is best for Nigerians.<\/p>\n
25.\u200bI have deliberately chosen the opportunity of being here with you, my
\nNumber One constituency who I see as the future of our great country, to
\nmake my intention known. I believe the Nigerian youth are critical to
\nrebuilding and growing the economy, and restoring our national pride.<\/p>\n
26. I therefore ask you and all well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with
\nme in this noble cause.<\/p>\n
My brothers, My sisters, Let\u2019s Grow Nigeria Together.<\/p>\n
God bless you all.
\nGod bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON.<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s Senate President Bukola Saraki said on Thursday he will run for president in 2019, making him the highest profile contender to incumbent Muhammadu Buhari announced so far. Saraki, Nigeria\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":63884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n