When push comes to shove in race for PDP presidential ticket

Soon, the race for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will narrow to the best three, or four men who have demonstrated leadership capacity and have acquired experience.

Talking about experience and capacity, all PDP aspirants are well endowed, having being governors, senators, administrators and boardroom experts. At the end of the day, the race will showcase an array of aspirants for delegates to pick from. Who can turn things around for an economy that’s near prostrate, a civil society that is so divided and communities that are ravaged by insecurity?

But one candidate who has embraced balance, fairness, and objectivity in analysing Nigeria’s political scenario and dealing with them is Senator Bukola Abubakar Saraki. His interventions have profoundly helped to shape Nigeria’s democracy as well as help to strengthen its institution. 

His emergence as President of The Senate under very trying circumstances helped to deepen the theory of separation of powers among the three arms- executive, legislature and judiciary. He fought hard to stay in that office and it paid off for the system.

Saraki’s outstanding, pro-democracy roles in Nigeria’s body politic over the years have subsequently reaped well-deserved, massive harvests as a senator and governor of Kwara State respectively. 

Those who voted for him in those senatorial and gubernatorial races did so in the expression of appreciation for him for his selfless and leading roles in the sustenance of representative democracy. 

Most of Saraki’s political opponents, in the race for the 2023 presidency, across party lines, know very well that they are far from deserving consideration to run for the presidency. Saraki is one political colossus who has selflessly sown good seeds in the years past and here is harvest time for him, deservedly so. 

However, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) looks ahead to its Presidential primary election on May 28; party delegates must be circumspect with their decision by settling for former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki as the standard flag bearer for the 2023 poll. In Saraki, the nation can end her 62 years of search for the right leader and pull away from the cliff over which she perilously hangs and avert her drop into total destruction.

A Saraki presidency would fetch Nigerians the result-driven governance they had yearned for since the attainment of independence in 1960. Senator Saraki is the last stop for the search for the President of Nigeria in 2023. Indeed he is presidential in character, dimension, and expression. He is a fine gentleman who is a product of excellent upbringing, socially and politically.

He is very well educated in Nigeria and abroad with a robust network of associates in high positions across the globe including the United States and the United Kingdom. He has excellent cognate experience in politics and business as a high-ranking bank executive, as Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo, and two times Governor of Kwara State, where he was adjudged the best performing governor as well as Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

In retrospect, Nigerians can recall vividly the roles Saraki played in the defense of the downtrodden while he held sway as President of the Eight Senate. Through his distinguish magic wand, he saved Nigeria from a wasteful Peoples Democratic Party-led government that gave out money to cronies in the name of petroleum subsidy and stood as a bastion in defense of the common people. As Senate President, he further excelled as the defender of Nigeria’s democracy by asserting the independence of the legislative arm of government. His vision is to end false promises and instead act to rebuild the nation to greatness, end insecurity and grow a robust economy to end poverty and ultimately with the vision to make Nigeria a silicon valley.

As a testimony to his cerebral disposition and skill set, he successfully topped the chart in a consensus dialogue initiated by the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, with his counterpart in Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed and Muhammed Hayatudeen in toe. The outcome of the process made him the consensus northern choice, and indeed, the best, for the PDP delegate election.
Bamidele wrote from Iwo, Osun State.