2023: Ex Zamfara Governor, Yerima Joins Presidential Race

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Saturday, January 22nd, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The first executive Governor of Zamfara State, Ahmad Rufai Sani Yerima, has made a formal declaration to join the 2023 presidential race.

Yerima disclosed this in a BBC Hausa Service program “Gane Mani Hanya” saying that since President Buhari is ending his second term, he would continue to pursue his presidential ambition.

“If God spares my life, by 2023 I would go into the contest for the post of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ” Yarima said.

“In 2007 I made similar attempts but the Arewa Consultative Forum and other respected elders of the North pleaded with me and other contenders to step down for Muhammadu Buhari and I agreed.

“I made a vow that once Muhammadu Buhari was aspiring for the position of the President, I will not contest with him. In 2019 election, people asked me to contest I said unless Muhammadu Buhari would not be contesting for the second term I will contest.

“Now that he has been elected as President twice and his tenure is ending up in 2023, I decided to make a public pronouncement that I am contesting for the post of the President come 2023.”

Speaking on why he is interested in becoming the president of Nigeria Yarima said, “I served as Governor of Zamfara for eight years, I was in the Senate for twelve years so with the experiences I have gathered, I understand that Nigeria is suffering from two main problems, poverty and illiteracy.

“If government can come up with policies to enhance agriculture and livestock production, support small – scale entrepreneurship and everyone is empowered to do one business or the other, the issue of insecurity and other socio-economic issues crises affecting Nigerians will be addressed.”

Speaking on why he is aspiring for the position of president when he knows Buhari came from the North and from same geo -political zone with him, Yarima said “both the constitution of the APC and that of Nigeria does not provide room for zoning.

“If there is room for zoning and the post of the presidency is not zoned to someone’s geographical zone, it would be an act of madness for the same person to aspire for the post. The emphasis on both constitutions is “Nigerian regardless of the zone he came from.

“There is no zoning in APC constitution and even in the PDP constitution and if you insist on zoning, are you going to compel someone whose presidency is not zoned to his own geopolitical area to vote for someone he dislikes?”