Former House of Representatives Speaker Hon. Dimeji Bankole has joined the presidential race.
He is set to buy nomination form of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) next week.
A close ally of the former Speaker, Malam Abdullahi Bayero, confirmed this to The Nation in Kaduna on Wednesday.
According to him: “Right Honourable Dimeji Bankole is in the race and he is contesting on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“He has met with various stakeholders and their support is overwhelming, especially across the North. So, he is set to buy the APC nomination form next week.
“Many see him as someone who ticked all the boxes as far as having a young, smart, competent and patriotic president is concerned.
“Just like former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida posited, Nigeria needs a young leader. I think there should be no debate over that even though the constitution did not stop old men from running for office.
“There are many northerners who believe Bankole is the right man to be supported, recalling how he handled the situation when then President Umaru Yar’adua took ill while in office. He is a candidate the North, indeed Nigeria as whole can trust,” Bayero said.
Bankole was recently in Kaduna as special guest of honour at the 16th annual Ramadan lecture by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON).
It was learnt that the former speaker used his presence in the northern State to meet many stakeholders who have since assured him of support.
Bankole, who was the 2019 governorship candidate of Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Ogun State, officially registered as a member of the APC in March 2021.