A youth group, Rotimi Amaechi Youth Ambassadors (RAYA), has described the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the only face of consolidation and continuity of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s achievements.
The group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Lili, in Abuja on Monday, said that Amaechi’s records of achievement had preceded his declaration.
Lili described the declaration for 2023 presidential race by the former speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, as timely answer to calls and yearnings of Nigerians, especially at this critical juncture of the country’s political journey.
Lili, who expressed confidence in Amaechi’s capacity, said the coast was now clear for him to clinch the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket for the 2023 polls.
He said that the declaration ceremony in a parked Port Harcourt stadium was a testament of Amaechi’s appeal to Nigerians from all walks of life, thereby placing him far above others.
Lili commended the doggedness as well as apt speech rendered by the minister during the declaration ceremony, saying the title “Forward with Courage” clearly showed that Amaechi meant business and ready to confront Nigeria’s challenges.
Amaechi, who was a two-time campaign director of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 and 2019 elections, had declared that he joined the race “because I believe that it is my moral duty to give what I can in the service of my country.
“To sustain and intensify present efforts at solving our national problems, our democracy must ensure the emergence of a leadership that is equipped with broad experience in governance to ensure stability and continuity.
“To sustain our democracy and preserve our unity, we need a steady hand and a passion for success in a nation that remains united to pursue prosperity for all Nigerians.
“Today, I stand as an aspirant to the position of President because of that same passion for people; that same drive for results. More than ever before, I am burning with the zeal to make a decisive difference in the lives of all Nigerians.
“No matter the darts and arrows that come my way, I will remain steadfast because the stakes are too high. We cannot afford to fail. We cannot afford to veer off-course.”
Lili said that Nigerians would now have the opportunity to gauge campaign based on ideas, plans and programmes as well as issue based – campaign, not mudslinging and personality attacks that characterised some candidates’ campaigns.