Ted Odogwu, Kano
AT last Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau has officially signified his intention to contest the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), but added, however, that he is not desperate about it.
During an interactive session at a dinner party he hosted for journalists at the Government House in Kano yesterday, Shekarau said: “I want to say it clearly that after due consultations with all those that matter, as far as my contacts are concerned across the federation, I have decided to accept the challenge to participate in the democratic process of serving Nigerian citizens at the level of presidency.”
He said he came to the conclusion believing that his participation in serving humanity is beyond political and party affiliation, as well as beyond mere winning of election.
He, however, noted that it does not mean that there would not be any commitment, seriousness and determination to win, but that as a believer in fate, in the end, winning or not winning is in the hands of the Almighty God.
“It is not a do-or-die affair, as we can see it been translated by the PDP leaders, even at the state level because we have seen them during campaign tours, when one of their leaders was saying in Hausa: ko abamu ko amutu, ko abasu ko amutu (if they don’t hand over power to us, we will kill),” he noted.
He said he would make a formal declaration on August 5, 2010 at the International Conference Abuja, and that stressing, however, that it would not be like a manifesto presentation, because even as at the time of making the declaration, he would not be a candidate of his party.
To this end, Shekarau has appointed his Special Adviser/Director-General on Societal Orientation, Mallam Bala Mohammed, a former World Bank consultant, as the Director of Communications of his campaign organisation; while his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Public Relations, Sule Ya’u Sule, will serve as his deputy, with various other committees drawn from across the nation as members.
