TheCable

Kabiru Gaya, senator representing Kano south, says he refused to contest the governorship of his state because he wants to devote more time to the presidential aspiration of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Gaya, chairman of the The Progressive Project (TPP), a coalition of support groups backing Osinbajo for the presidency, spoke on Thursday when he received the All Progressives Congress (APC) forms on behalf of Osinbajo in Abuja.

The forms, worth N100 million, were said to have been purchased by the groups for Osinbajo.

The Kano senator said it is uplifting to see that “many Nigerians” have bought into the vision of Osinbajo.

“My forms for another run for my constituency’s senate seat in Kano are ready. They wanted me to run for governorship but I said no, let me run for the senate seat and be able to devote more time for the Osinbajo presidency project,” he said.

“All your efforts are much appreciated — individuals, support groups and many others across the country are directly or indirectly involved with this effort and I am here to ensure that we reinvigorate our efforts and plans.

“We are preparing effectively for the APC presidential primaries and we expect a process that would ensure the success of our candidate who has been the person who had worked closest and in deep trust with the serving president and had the best insight into existing challenges that he can tackle in good time.

“It is uplifting to see that so many Nigerians, including many of you here, have bought into the vision of professor Osinbajo. We need all your efforts and all your prayers for our collective effort to succeed phenomenally.”

On his part, Tunji David, co-convener of Businessmen for Osinbajo, said his group is supporting the vice-president because he is different from other aspirants.

“We continue to mobilise support for professor Osinbajo, not because we want to just support anybody, but because we have seen the really big difference between professor Osinbajo and all other aspirants,” David said.

“Apart from the fact that he has the charisma and capacity to lead Nigeria to great heights, he has been a very loyal vice-president for the past seven years and while working as an acting president, we all witnessed how well he did.”