Former governor of Kwara State who later served as Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has joined the 2023 presidential race.
Saraki told Governor Samuel Ortom, elders and members of the State Working Committee of the PDP in Benue State during his visit to the Government House, Markurdi penultimate Tuesday that he will run for president in 2023.
The former Senate President was accompanied by the Chairman of his Campaign group, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Idris Wada, former PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and Senator Suleiman Adokwe.
His choice of Benue State Government House for the announcement of his presidential bid was strategic.
Though, the direct primary election will be quite advantageous to state and federal lawmakers that are popular and can influence things at the macro level and presidential hopefuls who have ‘foot soldiers’ that can help them woo party members, the governors can still not be ignored in the scheme of things by any serious-minded politician.
Since Kwara has become an APC-controlled state, Saraki may have zeroed the choice of the person who would truly protect his interests among the PDP governors on Ortom.
A good number of the PDP governors are either getting prepared to join the presidential race or to become vice presidential candidate.
It was also said that he made Baraje to accompany him because the Benue State governor served as a member of the PDP National Working Committee under him.
This is Saraki’s third presidential bid. He had in September 2010 entered the 2011 presidential race and he had to quit chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
While groups urged him to join the 2015 presidential race, he did not, however, take necessary steps to show commitment.
Saraki also joined others to vie for PDP nomination in 2018 ahead of the 2019 presidential election.
