From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The chances of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo running the 2023 president received a big boost on Monday following the endorsement by 57 coalition youth groups.

The coalition, identified as National Coalition of Youths and Students (NACOYS), equally disclosed that they are already mobilising for a five million-man march that will involve Nigerian youths across the country, when the Vice President will formally declare his intentions to contest.

They maintained that their endorsement of Vice President Osinbajo is part of the strategies to signal a resolve that Nigerian youth cannot afford to remain indifferent to the nation’s political process and its future.

According to the coalition’s National Coordinator, Barr. Festus Ofume; “For the future of Nigeria, we firmly believe that the man, Yemi Osinbajo SAN, is the best qualified for the office of the President, especially with his intellectual accomplishment, empathy for the younger generation, understanding of the economy and the fact that he has the experience having being an acting President and Vice President with uncompromised passion to consolidate on the achievements of the last seven years.”

In a communique read after their meeting with officials of The Progressive Project (TPP) the sole coordinating body for scores of existing and upcoming pro-Osinbajo groups across Nigeria, representatives of the 57 youth organizations, also emphasized a firm resolve to mobilize at least five million youth across Nigeria to support Osinbajo if he finally decides to run for the presidency in 2023.

“Being the most viable candidate for the office of the President, we shall, in the best of today’s youth and coming generations, strive towards the election of Prof Osinbajo as the president of Nigeria come 2023,” NACOYS coordinator, said.

“At our enlarged meeting held at Abuja on January 10, 2022, we unanimously endorse Vice President Osinbajo, as our candidate for the top job of the President of Nigeria for the 2023 general elections. We came to this conclusion after due consultation nationwide and after a thorough assessment of all he has done over the past seven years.

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“Vice President Osinbajo is not only the best qualified among all the names being mentioned as potential aspirants; he is also the most qualifies in terms of practical potentials towards redressing issues of deep concern such as the rule of law and unemployment.

“He has consistently demonstrated deep passion for impactful economic policies and we all know a bit about his roles in the Economic Recovery and Growth Project (ERGP) and other policies targeting macro-economic stability and restoration of economic growth,” Ofume stated.

The NACOYS communique also emphasized the need for power shift from North to South and the need to pick an experienced and competent person from the north as a running mate towards ensuring further consolidation of Nigeria’s unity as realization of collective aspirations for progress, peace and development.

“We, members of NACOYS and other stakeholders have resolved that Osinbajo who is a Southerner should succeed President Buhari as the tide is set for the presidency to rotate to the south. In this regard, we know that Prof. Osinbajo will select his running mate from the North to balance the political equation and ensure effective representation of the North for the national interest and the interest of future generations.

“After scrutinizing the current challenges of the country and the pertinent efforts and roles played by Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo, towards containing these challenges, we are firmly confident about his capacity to address all the challenges the country is currently facing, if given the chance to serve in the capacity of Commander-in-Chief and the Chief Executive Officer of the country.

“After due consideration and a nationwide sampling of opinions among the youths and students across Nigeria six geopolitical zones, we came to the firm conclusion that Prof Osinbajo is a well-liked and highly acceptable figure to people across the country.

“We are in no doubt that he is best qualified to foster national unity and quench the incessant aggressive quest for self-determination and demarcation of Nigeria,” the coalition stated.