A massive crowd of supporters, organized by the Northern Solidarity Group, descended on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Towers on Monday to petition the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, to run for president on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
The group also supplied the Minister with Expressions of Interest and Nomination papers.
Women’s group, youth group, and the Northern Solidarity Group make up the enormous crowd.
Suleiman Abdullahi, a spokesman for the group, said the Minister has a better chance of winning both the ticket and the general elections, despite the need for support.
Abdullahi said: “We picked this presidential nomination forms to surprise the Minister state for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, to contest for the presidency of this country, which we found him capable to do. We are his fans from the Northern part of Nigeria.
“Nigerians can see from his antecedent from the state level to the federal level that he has garnered necessary experience and well acceptable across the country. So we know that his chances of withe ticket of the APC is brighter.”
Chief Timipre Sylva expressed his gratitude for the love shown to him by Nigerians from all walks of life as he spoke to a large throng at the gate of the NNPC Towers in Abuja on Monday.“I feel very honoured and humbled for the show of love and this show of commitment not to me, but to Nigeria. I have tried my best since I was appointed by Mr. president to this office to do my service to Nigeria. But to realize that my efforts have been noticed by you Nigerians and that you Nigerians by yourself will go and take the trouble of obtaining the nomination and the expression of interest forms for me is very humbling. And I must also say very shocking at the same time.
“But I’m very happy and pleased by this gesture. So what I will do now, I will not give you a straight answer right now. But I’m really thankful for what you have done because I need to consult I need to consult my constituency and consult leaders of this country and then I’ll come back to you to let you know if I have taken the position also to run for this office.
“I thank you very much. So you’ll give me a very short time. I will start right away with the consultation. I will go to my leader, for example the Ijaw Leader Sir SK Clark, I will talk to him. I will also consult other leaders of the country and I will get back to you.”
