2023: Sylva says he will need to consult after being given nomination form

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva Monday in Abuja said he would need to carry out consultations before deciding to join the 2023 presidential race after a group bought him All Progressives Congress’s nomination form.

The group, The Good People of Nigeria, led by Muhammad Abu Abaji presented the minister and former governor of Bayelsa state the form, insisting that Sylva remained the best candidate to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking while accepting the form, Sylva said it was necessary for him to consult widely, especially his people in Niger Delta.

According to the minister, he will not make a decision without speaking to Ijaw people, especially Chief Edwin Clark and other political allies.

“I am very happy and pleased by this gesture,” Sylva said. “I will not give you a straight answer but I am really thankful for what you have done.

“I need to consult with my constituency and leaders of this country and then I will come back to you to let you know if I have taken the position to run for this office.

“I will start right away to consult. I will go to my leader, the Ijaw leader, Sir E.K Clark, I will talk to him and I will also consult other leaders of the country.”

Abaji said he was certain that the party would give Sylva the ticket to be the flag bearer for the 2023 elections, adding that the track records of the minister are laudable.

According to him, the form is the small support of the group to push him towards participating in the APC primaries.

“Everybody here contributed to buying the forms. We are the good people of Nigeria,” Abaji said.