All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Monday, said he has the experience to preside over Nigeria.
He spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, during a meeting with Governor Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC) delegates in the state.
Amaechi told the top party leaders that he knows Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, whom he branded a “man of honour”, hails from Ogun, but insisted that “my experience matters.”
He stated further that he remains the “only Nigerian candidate” for the next election and challenged other co-aspirants to prove him wrong.
Amaechi said: “I’m very experienced. I’m not a Yoruba candidate and I will never be a Yoruba candidate. I’m not an Hausa/Fulani candidate and I will never be an Hausa/Fulani candidate. I’m not an Igbo candidate and I will never be one. I’m a Nigerian candidate.
“I challenge all others who are competing with me to show me the basis that they can claim to be a Nigerian candidate.
“I’m a different Nigerian and I’m one of the true Nigerians and I think all of you seated here are true Nigerians. The problem of Nigeria is not you, it is the elites.
“No person among all those competing has governed a state where there was insecurity, but I have. By the time I took over the governor of Rivers state, they were kidnapping two-month old children. What did I do first, I didn’t pay ransom. I made a law that if you pay ransom you go for six months imprisonment because where there is no demand, there will be no supply.
“I know that there is a candidate from this state, our vice president, a man of honour, he is a good candidate, but I think that if you look well, my experience matters.
“I come with experience, I’m 56 years old, I will be 57 in May, so, I’m the bridge between the young and the old. I have energy and people have said, no, being energetic is not enough to preside over a state, but you can’t preside over a state in the hospital.
“He, the vice president, had said that I’m a forthright man and if you approach me, you will know that I’m forthright.”
Responding, Abiodun saluted his courage for declaring his intention to run for president and wished him well in his presidential ambition.
Amaechi’s team later met with the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, at his palace in Abeokuta, where he sought the monarch’s support on his presidential ambition.