Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has again hailed himself as the most qualified presidential candidate to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

The minister said his credentials make him more qualified than the likes of Tinubu, Wike, Saraki, Peter Obi and others to become Nigeria’s next president.

Rotimi Amaechi boasted about his political offices while speaking in Ile Ife, at the Palace of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, when he paid the traditional ruler a consultation visit on Monday.

The minister stressed that his precedence and performance in governance and his physical and mental fitness qualified him to take over the seat of power.

Big wigs in the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have declared their intention to contest the 2023 presidential election.

Among them are the likes of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, Rochas Okorocha, among others, in the presidential race, all in APC.

The PDP also boasts of politicians such as former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Gov Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Gov Bala Mohammed, Aminu Tambuwal, Peter Obi, Anyim Pius Anyim, among others.

Speaking yesterday in Ile Ife, Amaechi said he has a better chance of becoming Nigeria’s next leader because of his credentials which surpass that of other politicians who have shown interest to run for the presidency.

He said, “If you look at my history, among all of us in APC, including PDP, with all due respect to them, I happen to be one with more precedence. 8 years as Speaker, 8 years as Governor, 7 years as Minister, the first Director-General of a campaign to lead a fight of the removal of a government in power.

“With that experience comes the fact that the greatest and the most difficult thing for anybody in government is to lead among equals. If you don’t lead properly, they’ll remove you.

“I’ve led my equals twice, as Chairman of the Conference of Speakers and as Chairman of Governors’ Forum, which was very turbulent when there was a sharp disagreement between the governors and the then President. So, I’m experienced enough to manage the country at this difficult time.”