2019: Saraki gets support from south-south, southeast youths

macfranc007 September 01, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Adeola Opeyemi

- A coalition of in south-south, southeast youths organisation have announced their support for presidential aspirant, Bukola Saraki

- The leader of the group disclosed this at a press conference, in Owerri, Imo state

A coalition of South-East and South-South youth organisations, has on Friday, August 31, endorsed Senate President Bukola Saraki as their candidate for the presidential election in 2019.

Saraki, who is running on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), picked the party's nomination ticket along with other aspirants on Friday.

The leader of the coalition, Kenneth Oti, disclosed the group's decision at a press conference, in Owerri, Imo state, after a meeting with key stakeholders, and youth leaders in the sister political regions, The Sun reports.

Oti said: “We received the news of the long awaited declaration of the Senate President Bukola Saraki to run for the presidency in 2019 with exceeding happiness, joy and gladness. We are scared he would be intimidated not to declare. We have been mobilising secretly to go and beg him to run, in order to rescue and save Nigeria and Nigerians from the unhappy situation we found ourselves as a people, with common destiny.

“Now he has declared we are glad and shall liaise with other youth organisations across the country, under the auspices of a group called, “Nigerians United For Saraki’s Presidency,” to ensure he emerges the president in 2019. So today we endorse president of the Senate Bukola Saraki as our choicest candidate for the president of Nigeria in 2019.

“We are wary of the abysmal situation of things in this country and Nigerians have agonized so much in every sense of the word as a result of toxic, myopic and retrogressive leadership.

“Our coalition of South-East/South-South youth organizations are on the same page with our Northern Youths counterparts who have declared the following: “The economy is in a very bad shape and the lives of Nigerians have become cheaper than a bag of rice in the market.

“We are greatly divided along tribal and religious lines and this polarization has dealt us big blows both on the local and international scenes.

“It is therefore very important that we elect a very credible leader to take us back to the path of progress and development.

“His track records as the governor of Kwara state and as the senate president are here with us. That is why we have united to endorse him and urge him to come out for the presidency of this great country for the 2019 general elections.

“We urge the PDP and all good people of Nigeria to join in this train of change to bring in a tested and trusted leader so that he can bring in his wealth of experience and goodwill to bear in providing the much needed development that would reposition us on the path of progress.

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”Saraki is not only a bridge builder but a leader with a difference who can move Nigeria forward. He is a grassroots politician and you can see this with what happened in his home state when he moved from the ruling APC to the PDP.

“Saraki has proven himself a very competent and highly detribalised person who can effectively command proactive followership.

“His state governor, members of the state’s Assembly and virtually all the key political actors in his home state all moved along with him.

“That is one thing you cannot find elsewhere. If we give him our support, he would definitely take this country to the promise land of unity and progressive development."

NAIJ.com earlier reported that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said that he has been vindicated about his comments that Senate President Bukola Saraki left the ruling party because of his personal ambition and not because he had the interest of the nation at heart.

Oshiomhole said that Saraki’s personal ambition almost destroyed the APC, pointing out that it was a good thing that the Senate President has moved on.

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