Former Presidential aide, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has stated that he is the most qualified candidate to become the next President of Nigeria in 2023.
According to Okupe, he was the one former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida had in mind during his recent interview with Arise TV where he said he had already seen three potential candidates for the next presidency and they are in their 60s.
IBB said in the interview: “I have started visualising a good Nigerian leader. That is, a person, who travels across the country and has a friend virtually everywhere he travels to and he knows at least one person that he can communicate with.
“That is a person, who is very versed in economics and is also a good politician, who should be able to talk to Nigerians and so on. I have seen one, or two or three of such persons already.
Okupe speaking to Arise TV on Friday, August 13, said IBB was referring to him, saying he is the most qualified person to be the next President, followed by Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the current Vice-President.
Okupe, a former presidential adviser to former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan also ruled out Northerner as the next President.
Okupe said: “The person (the next President) should be somebody who can pick up his phone and call at least one person in every local government of the federation.
“That means it is somebody who already moved around, who has socially interacted with people from all sections of Nigeria. He understands Nigeria.
“I also agree with that, in his 60s. For instance if I join the race, I am in my 60s.
“And I think that by what IBB has actually said, I have not spoken to him, I have a feeling that he had me in mind.
“Believe me sincerely. I must be one of them. I am serious. Because there is no local government in this country I have not visited five times in my lifetime, there is none and I am the most really well prepared person to be President.”
He said he didn’t only serve under two different presidencies, he was “a friend and associate of each of the Presidents, a confidant of the Presidents, I have seen them handled the country.”
“If you are going to do that table properly, I Doyin Okupe should be number one.
“Then the next person, most qualified person would be Osinbajo, using the same yardsticks I used for myself.
“Osinbajo in the last couple of years has been number two man. All be it, he may not have been acting properly, that is the internal politics of the APC presidency. But he is the Vice-President of the current President, he is also very intelligent, knowledgeable,” he added.
He said 2023 is an important year for all Nigerians and as a result they must be proactive enough to ensure that they elect the right candidate who is politically versatile with the much needed credentials to steer the affairs of the nation, healing it in the process.
He also called Former Governor, Peter Obi an excellent candidate.