- I am more experienced that him - Amaechi tells Abiodun, others

Ahead of the 2023 presidetial election, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State might have abandoned the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by throwing his weight behind Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Abiodun, on Tuesday, declared that the State would support Osinbajo and not Tinubu, to enable him continue with some of the laudable projects of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

Abiodun had led state delegation including the Deputy Governor and other cabinet members to welcome Osinbajo who was in the State to seek the support of delegated ahead of the primaries of the party later this year.

Tinubu, earlier in the year, was in Ogun State to consult with the traditional rulers in the State, he was welcomed by the Deputy Governor.

Governor Abiodun was also missing in the recent engagements with the APC Governors by Tinubu in Abuja.

Tinubu was believed to have played a major role in Abiodun securing the ticket of the Party in the 2019 General election in the face of serious opposition by the then Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

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Osinbajo was however believed to have played more role, using his office, in the success of Abiodun at the polls which was won against Amosun's anointed candidate, Abiodun Akinlade with less than 20,000 votes.

Speaking at a stakeholders meetings with the VP held at the Akarigbo Palace  Sagamu, the Alake Palace in Abeokuta and the Presidential Lodge, Ibara, Abeokuta, as well as the Palace of Olu of Ilaro and Paramount ruler of Yewaland, Abiodun said Osinbajo in the last seven years, has contributed to the many successes recorded by the federal government.

Abiodun said, "The VP is eminently qualified to lead the country, his presence here is home coming. We are pleased with his decision to run for the office of the president. He is competent and committed to lead the country in a higher capacity.

"Your steadfastness, integrity and character are all well known. You are serving this country and the president meritoriously for the last seven years as the vice president. We have no doubt that you will do well as the president and we will support you", Abiodun stated.

The governor, who extolled the VP's academic exploit, recalled how he stood behind his gubernatorial election and described him as a man who is interested in fairness, justice, equity and the Rule of Law.

In his speech, the VP said he was not in the state to campaign, but to inform his people of his intention to run for the office of the president.

Prof Osinbajo said he had consulted widely across all sections of the society, including with President Muhammadu Buhari before he threw his hat into the ring to succeed his boss.

Recounting his contributions to the present federal government, Osinbajo said he was actively involved in the judiciary reforms and its repositioning to work optimally, and ensure that judges are adequately enumerated.

He said his working with President Buhari has exposed him to governance at the highest level and placed him in a position to tackle serious issues concerning economy, security, among others.

"The Vice President position is an opportunity to serve and I have served with utmost loyalty. I put everything into my work. I am a candidate who will hit the ground running when I am elected.

"I have the requisite knowledge to do the job and building on what others have put in place. My presidency will bring peace, unity and development to the country", the VP said.

"After all I have learnt if called upon to serve the nation, should I say No? I have decided that I will run for the office.  I have sworn an oath to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  It is an oath to our people,  our children and the future of Nigeria.  I owe nobody else any allegiance outside the oath", he added.

Osinbajo, however, commended Abiodun-led administration for the giant strides it has recorded in the last three years, expressing the hope that his quest to lead the country would be fruitful.

The Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, in his remarks, posited that the vice president was competent with the required qualification to lead the nation, observing that his performance as the acting president is there for all to see.

Speaking on the ambition of the Vice President, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, attested to the competence of Osinbajo, saying: "the vice president has paid his dues and is eminently qualified to succeed as President.  

"I want to pray that you will come back to this Palace as a President and Nigeria will be gain tremendously under your watch", Alake said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation and another presidential aspirant on thr platform of the APC, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that he has more experience to rule Nigeria Osinbajo.

Amaechi was also in Ogun State on Monday night during a meeting with Governor Abiodun and the APC delegates in the State.

Amaechi told the top party leaders that he knows Osinbajo, who he branded a "man of honour", hails from Ogun, but insisted that "my experience matters."

"Let us even assume that I'm the worst aspirant, for the sake of friendship, I'm entitled to your votes, you will go there and say for the sake of this our friendship, if he is going to fail, let's fail with him," he said.

The former Rivers State Governor said beyond friendship, he has the capacity, energy and experience to lead Nigeria.

He said remains the "only Nigerian candidate" for the next election and challenged other co-aspirants to prove him wrong.

Amaechi said to the delegates, "I'm very experienced, I'm not a Yoruba candidate and I will never be a Yoruba candidate. I'm not an Hausa/Fulani candidate and I will never be an Hausa/Fulani candidate. I'm not an Igbo candidate and I will never be one. I'm a Nigerian candidate.

"I challenge all others who are competing with me to show me the basis that they can claim to be a Nigerian candidate.

"I'm a different Nigerian and I'm one of the true Nigerians and I think all of you seated here are true Nigerians. The problem of Nigeria is not you, it is the elites.

"No person among all those competing has governed a state where there was insecurity, but I have. By the time I took over the governor of Rivers state, they were kidnapping two-month old children. What did I do first, I didn't pay ransom. I made a law that if you pay ransom you go for six months imprisonment because where there is no demand, there will be no supply.

"My administration will give equal opportunities to the men, so that they will compete equally, they will be appointed on merits and they will be given that chance to be part of the government.

"I know that there is a candidate from this state, our Vice President, a man of honour, he is a good candidate, but I think that if you look well, my experience matters.

"I come with experience, I'm 56 years old, I will be 57 in May, so I'm the bridge between the young and the old. I have energy and people have said, no, being energetic is not enough to preside over a state, but you can't preside over a state in the hospital.

"He, the Vice President, had said that I'm a forthright man and if you approach me, you will know that I'm forthright."

Responding, Abiodun saluted his courage for declaring his intention to run for president and wished him well in his presidential ambition.