Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has vowed to empower Nigerian youths if he’s voted president come 2023.
Saraki who made this vow when young professionals and entrepreneurs presented him nomination and expression of interest forms purchased for to enable him participate in the forthcoming Peoples Democratic Party PDP presidential primaries slated for May.
He said: “My dear professionals and entrepreneurs who constitute this noble group gathered here today, I am almost emotional witnessing this event where you young people gather your hard-earned money amounting to a whooping N40 million to purchase nomination and expression of interest forms in support of my candidacy.
“I am told that in buying the forms, many of you contributed N200,000, N500,000 and and the highest is N2m. This initiative and noble effort are perhaps unprecedented in the history of Nigerian politics.
“The tradition is either for the aspirant or a group of wealthy friends to come together to purchase the nomination forms because of the huge funds required. Your effort has beaten some of my friends who have been talking about doing this for me to the mark.
“I appreciate this your effort far more than I would have appreciated if any of my friends has purchased the forms.
” My appreciation derives from the fact that your effort is essentially a genuine demonstration of your commitment, belief, patriotism, and sincerity in my ability and visions.
” You have taken money that you could have re-invested into your young businesses or spent to enjoy the various luxuries which hard-working young people may find necessary once in a while to procure these forms.
“What you have done is a symbolic message that you are mandating me to go out to the field and work hard among all our leaders, delegates, and other stakeholders to win the PDP presidential ticket come May as well as subsequently follow up with decisive victory in the general elections in February 2023.
” Looking at the diversity that all of you gathered here represent, another symbolic message I will take away is that as far as the youths are concerned, what we need to develop in Nigeria is not where people come from or what religion they subscribe to.
” It is about having the competence, determination, and patriotism to initiate good measures and have the courage of conviction to follow through with the plans.
“Your charge to me is to go there and make all Nigerians – young and old, northerners and southerners, Muslims, Christians, and people of other religions, operators in the private and public sectors, and members of different political parties – to join hands and fix Nigeria.
“With your action today, I do not have an option but to listen to the voice of the youths who represent 62 percent of the over 200 million Nigerians. That is why I want to promise that If I become the President of Nigeria, all positions of Ministers of State in the cabinet will be occupied by youths.
“This is a promise that I will not fail because I believe the ideas of the youths are needed to drive modern development efforts. And you know from my record that I have the boldness to implement this promise.
Read full speech below:
SPEECH BY DR. ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, CON, IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND WAZIRI OF ILORIN ON MARCH 21, 2022, DURING THE PRESENTATION OF NOMINATION AND EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORMS PURCHASED FOR HIM BY SOME YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE AS PART OF THEIR SUPPORT FOR HIS CANDIDACY IN THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
• My dear professionals and entrepreneurs who constitute this noble group gathered here today, I am almost emotional witnessing this event where you young people gather your hard-earned money amounting to a whooping N40 million to purchase nomination and expression of interest forms in support of my candidacy.
• I am told that in buying the forms, many of you contributed N200,000, N500,000 and and the highest is N2m. This initiative and noble effort are perhaps unprecedented in the history of Nigerian politics. The tradition is either for the aspirant or a group of wealthy friends to come together to purchase the nomination forms because of the huge funds required. Your effort has beaten some of my friends who have been talking about doing this for me to the mark. I appreciate this your effort far more than I would have appreciated if any of my friends has purchased the forms.
• My appreciation derives from the fact that your effort is essentially a genuine demonstration of your commitment, belief, patriotism, and sincerity in my ability and visions. You have taken money that you could have re-invested into your young businesses or spent to enjoy the various luxuries which hard-working young people may find necessary once in a while to procure these forms.
• What you have done is a symbolic message that you are mandating me to go out to the field and work hard among all our leaders, delegates, and other stakeholders to win the PDP presidential ticket come May as well as subsequently follow up with decisive victory in the general elections in February 2023.
• Looking at the diversity that all of you gathered here represent, another symbolic message I will take away is that as far as the youths are concerned, what we need to develop in Nigeria is not where people come from or what religion they subscribe to. It is about having the competence, determination, and patriotism to initiate good measures and have the courage of conviction to follow through with the plans. Your charge to me is to go there and make all Nigerians – young and old, northerners and southerners, Muslims, Christians, and people of other religions, operators in the private and public sectors, and members of different political parties – to join hands and fix Nigeria.
• With your action today, I do not have an option but to listen to the voice of the youths who represent 62 percent of the over 200 million Nigerians. That is why I want to promise that If I become the President of Nigeria, all positions of Ministers of State in the cabinet will be occupied by youths. This is a promise that I will not fail because I believe the ideas of the youths are needed to drive modern development efforts. And you know from my record that I have the boldness to implement this promise.
• Without unfolding all the plans here because we will soon formally hold a public declaration to which all of you are hereby invited, I want to once again express my happiness over this gesture. I so much appreciate it and I will not take it for granted.
• Once again, thank you. I pray for God’s blessing for all of you. I wish you journey mercies back to your various stations.