Nigeria: Okorocha announces candidacy for 2023 Presidential election

The Nigeria Senator and former Governor of the Southeastern state of Imo, Rochas Okorocha officially declared his intention to run for the 2023 Presidential election, during the International conference center in Abuja on Monday.

Okorocha, who is the head of the All Progressive Congress (APC) party, will vie for the fourth time in 2023.

He is currently the senator of Imo West District in the 9th Senate.

The former governor reiterated his intentions to unite Nigerians across ethnic and religious divides if elected the president of the West African state.

"I appeal to my party the APC, they should allow a clear level ground. And Igbos must understand that power is not given, power is taken, we must go out to reach out to people and should speak and negotiate power because no one will give you power, but let justice reign. When all this is done, ladies and gentlemen, as I declare to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023," declared Okorocha.

He has pledged to make free education compulsory, especially from primary to secondary schools and also create an enabling economy that will enable more job creation and better productivity.

"The problem is, for every 1 billion Naira problem, Nigeria has 10,000 Naira to solve. But what it requires now is that radical businessman who can turn nothing into something like I have done in my time (as former Governor of Imo state for 8 years), I would do that," Okorocha said.

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, share the state-level governance of all 36 states across the federation.

President Muhammadu Buhari led the APC into office in 2015 dislodging the PDP that had governed the country for 16 years prior.

PDP produced three presidents over the period, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umar Musah Ya’Adua and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Buhari is currently in his second term having secured reelection in March 2016. His tenure ends in 2023 when the next polls will be held.