The Minister of Transportation and Presidential aspirant under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed that his joining the 2023 Presidential race was a difficult decision to take.
Amaechi made the revelation on Thursday, as part of his consultation with the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Government House, Marina Lagos.
He said the diffiulty came, knowing that the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is in the race and urged party members to support his presidential aspiration by voting for him in the party’s upcoming primaries.
Amaechi, who stressed the need for APC to present the most qualified candidate in the upcoming elections, said he has the right energy and public service record to lead the country.
According to him, “It is a difficult thing to contest with our leader, he is our leader and l know it is really a difficult decision that you have to take. He is eminently qualified to contest but I’m more qualified than him.
“I’m the bridge between the old and the young. I understand the language of young people. And if we consider the reality of our current security situation, I’m the only one with experience in handling difficult security situations having served as governor at a time when kidnapping and violent crime was high in Rivers.”
He urged the Lagos governor to take what he described as a “difficult decision” to support him to emerge as Nigeria’s choice.
“l come with experience of having served as speaker, l come with experience of having served as governor, l come with experience of having served as minister. I was chairman of governors and l also served as director general in the presidential campaign to deliver victory for our party APC.
“I have tremendous respect for our leader but we have to make the hard choice. I always say there is no second position in this contest, the party must make a winning choice. It is a hard decision but it is a decision that is doable,” Chief Amaechi told the governor.
In his remarks, Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed the on the need for the party to make good choices in the next election.
Amaechi, who also met with the Lagos State APC executive council members at Ikeja, said he understood the temptation for the Lagos delegates to want to vote for Tinubu.
However, he noted that beyond the sentiment of being a former governor and party leader, he is a better candidate given the experiences he possesses.
He said as the transport minister, his sector has contributed greatly to the economic reforms in the country and will do more if elected into office.
On his part, the Chairman of State APC, Cornelius Ojelabi applauded Amaechi for the role he played in the events leading to the party’s victory in 2015, stressing the need for unity among party members.
“You are welcome to our party secretariat. You are our party member. And as for the reason for your visit which you just told us, there is a way we do our things in Lagos, we have a leadership and we will convey your message to the leadership,” Ojelabi added.
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