Seante President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. Twitter
Senate President Bukola Saraki on Friday told the Not-Too-Young-To-Run movement that he declared to run for the presidency in 2019 in good faith.
Saraki had on Thursday made the declaration while delivering a keynote address at a dialogue organised by the movement in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
But the group said it was shocked when the senate president seized the opportunity to declare his presidential bid.
“The movement wishes to express its disappointment with Senator Saraki for usurping a platform designed for young aspirants to dialogue with party leadership to advance his personal political ambition,” convener of the movement Samson Itodo said in statement.
However, Saraki, through his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said his action was not to put the group in any position but that he made the declaration in good faith.
“It is true that the Not Too Young To Run leadership had no prior knowledge of the content of the Senate President’s remarks,” he said in a statement.
“However, the announcement by the Senate President that he intends to throw his hat into the ring to contest for the Presidency was made in good faith to young PDP aspirants, partly as a symbolic act of encouragement.
“It was not the intent of the Senate President to put the group or its leadership in an invidious position,” the statement added.
Saraki promised to continue working closely with young people across the country, in order to make Nigeria a better place for all citizens.