Former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has said Senate President Bukola Saraki has the right objectives for presidency.
He added that he is prepared for the position.
Babangida spoke when the Senate president visited him in Minna as part of his nationwide tour to seek support of PDP leaders, supporters and delegates for his nomination as the party’s presidential candidate.
Giving Saraki his support and blessing, Babangida said with Saraki’s experience as a governor, legislator and Senate President, coupled with his objectives for seeking election, there could be no better candidate than him.
He said: “You have the right objective for a campaign for leadership. You are much more than prepared because you have been a governor and a senator. You have been leading the Senate very well for the past three years and the Senate has been working well under you.”
Babangida praised the objectives of Saraki, which included unity, economic development and security. “You spoke of three important things that are very dear to me and those of us who fought to keep this country together. They are unity, economic development and security. The security of this nation is a no go area. The security of the people and property is uppermost in your mind along with the well-being of ordinary Nigerians. With these, I can say you have the right objectives for leadership of this country,” he said.
Babangida said he was willing to offer Saraki advice anytime he sought it.
“You have my prayers and support for these three reasons you have enumerated. I hope you keep to your objectives and hope the people will listen to you and believe you because the objectives are for the good of this country. I wish you well.”
Saraki said the nation was at the crossroads, stressing the need for the country to have a president based on his capacity to lead the nation.
He said there was the need to put the nation in the right direction, give people a sense of belonging and address insecurity and socio- economic challenges affecting the country.