Female presidential candidate, Khadija Okunnu-Lamidi, has stated that she would run for the presidency in 2023 despite the respect she has for the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu.
Okunnu-Lamidi while giving her reason said Nigerians clamour for a young person with a vibrancy to lead the country out of its challenges is her drive.
The aspirant stated this as she disclosed that she is “somehow related” to the former Governor of Lagos State.
Okunnu-Lamidi while speaking with BBC pidgin said, “He’s the national leader of the APC; he has contributed to national politics and I have great respect for him. But that doesn’t change the fact that Nigerians are looking for a young person with vibrancy. Nigerians are looking for a way out of poverty, they want 24 hours electricity supply, good health care and good roads which are what I’m here to provide.”
The presidential aspirant when asked if she has political experience, said, “Many people will say they have never heard of my name but I’ve been in politics for at least 20 years learning. Many people do declare their political ambition before they are ready, which is quite a problem. I’ve learnt the work and seen how others do it, which I don’t find satisfying, it gives me a stomach ache.
Okunnu-Lamidi when asked when she decided to contest for the presidency said, “It was shortly after the EndSARS protests in October 2020.”
She further stated that she reached out to young minds and the late singer, Sound Sultan, towards the goal of fielding some youths to contest for public office.
According to the aspirant, most of the youths she spoke with were sceptical about the idea.
She said, “At that point, it occurred to me that if I truly have the passion, I should be the one to step out and take the risk for us to have a better Nigeria.”
When asked how serious she is about her ambition, she said, “As you can see, my entrance into the race has not been a joke.”
Asked to speak about the political platform she’s running on, Okunnu-Lamidi said, “I don’t like to talk about the party because, for me, it doesn’t bring a solution. I’ve never seen any party talking about how to make life better for everybody, it’s just about their selfish interest.”