Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, on Friday, May 13, 2016, revealed that he will be contesting for the Nigerian president in 2023 after the presumed expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years tenure in office.
Okorocha said he will not present himself to run for the 2019 presidential election because of his belief in President Muhammadu Buhari’s ability and commitment to lead Nigeria out of the woods.
He, however, said he will not run as an Igbo man but as a Nigerian without tribe, state of origin and as a floating Nigerian.
He said he will be a detribalized Nigerian who will be accepted by all across the country.
He explained that the only reason why he will not present himself for 2019 is because of President Buhari, maintaining that Buhari was called to lead Nigeria and clean up the mess in the country.
Okorocha said his passion to become Nigeria’s president is borne out of the need to provide credible leadership for Nigeria and to build a nation that will be the envy of all Nigerians.
“President Buhari came in almost one year now and within the one year, Nigeria has once again got the doors of the rest of the world opened for her. He has shown courage, confidence, maturity and strong leadership. There is now high feeling of leadership in the country.
“I am not even judging President Buhari in terms of achievements or general administration, but he is cleaning up the mess of the past administration and to lay a new foundation upon which subsequent administrations of Nigeria would depend upon.
“Anybody judging Buhari from the other side is not being fair to him. That is why I am supporting him and that is why I am with him. After President Buhari, I would be back to the trenches. When I will run for the president, I will not run for it as an Igbo man, but as a Nigerian.
I am one Nigerian that is accepted all over this country and I am proud to say so. I am an Igbo man but I was born in the North and my empowerment and wealth came from the West. I cannot afford to be a tribalist.
“I believe in one enclave called Nigeria and that is my mindset. We must bend down and lay a solid foundation for Nigeria once and for all without sentiments,” Okorocha stated
