A-38-year old businesswoman, Khadijat Okunu-Lamidi has joined the league of politicians seeking to replace President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa as the battle ahead of 2023 begins.
The businesswoman cum media entrepreneur declared her intention to seek a political party’s nomination to contest 2023 presidential election.
Her decision many days is in response to the Not-Too-Young to run slogan recently signed into law by President Buhari.
Okunu-Lamidi, who is the founder, Slice Media Solutions, declared that she had become the arrow-head for the intervention of her generation’s interests across the nation for politics and good governance.
She declared, “I seek to change the direction of our country, because time and chance will happen to all of us and the time for action is today.”
Stating further, she said “We need a better class and a better crop of leaders that are selfless, disciplined, and bound with integrity, and above all, who love the country and are invested in her future. I am here to activate all people, the old, the poor, the rich; to unite around a common ideal on the basis of a consensus about a superior national development agenda,” she said.
She is of the opinion that 70 percent of youths were often disenfranchised and have not taken their rightful place in choosing the government of Nigeria.
According to her, Nigeria had missed important milestones in building the nation, adding that, it was more pertinent that Nigerians must begin to think differently in the way things were being done.
“We are all guilty for surrendering to temporary powerlessness, we can and must start to think differently. We sing often about our heroes past. These are people who entered the governance of Nigeria by design or by chance at a very young age to take over from the colonial power that ruled Nigeria,” she said.
In her words, “This again is a generational inflection point for the nation. A nation desperate for leadership needs the young, the strong, those who have a vision, those who have ideas, those who have a united Nigerian identity and a belief in this country. The people of Nigeria believe in Nigeria, they should not be led by leaders who don’t.
“We have to keep fighting for what we believe in, and above all, never lose hope. If you were waiting for a sign, this is it,” said Okunnu-Lamidi.
She is yet to declare for any political party.
Okunnu-Lamidi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Human Resources Management from the University of Bolton and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Project Management (MSc.) from Heriot-Watt University.
