A coalition of Niger Delta youth groups has called on the former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, to come out and declare his intention to contest the 2019 presidential election.
The group described Shekarau as very loyal friend to Jonathan and supported him up to his last days as president of Nigeria. We, the youths of Niger Delta, see him as a detribalised Nigerian and wish he would yield to our call and position himself for 2019 presidency,” he said.
The group, in a press conference addressed by their chairman, Wilson Harry in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said that the former minister of education has a track record of performance both as a former governor and a minister.
The groups stated that Shekarau as a former governor of Kano State transformed the oldest northern state through super infrastructure, job creation, human capital development, security and education. Shekarau constructed many roads and bridges and empowered the youth of the state through job creation and human capital development.
“During his tenure as a former governor of Kano, he championed a crusade for all inclusive governance where non-indigenes were cabinet members and that brought peace in Kano.
“As a minister, he had a very good cordial relationship with our leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan. He was able to implement government policy on construction of Almajiri schools in the North which lots of northern youths benefited from.
The groups, therefore, called on the PDP and Nigerians at large to see Shekarau as a potential marketable candidate who can fly their flag in the 2019 presidential election, saying his presidency will bring lasting peace to the country.