Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has said that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is qualified to be come next president in 2023 but that age and strength were not on his side.
He, however, promised to give him his support, if Nigerians prefers him to become next president.
Mohammed spoke when he received a report from a contact and consultation committee he set up for his presidential ambition.
He said, “There is no need for us to be greedy. Of course, my presidency will not cause division. You can see that at the time that my elder brother, Malam Adamu was going round, we invited our elder statesman, the one that we respect so much, the Waziri Adamawa (Atiku); we named a road after him.
“We invited him to Bauchi and we interacted and I told him that in this game, I know he is the most senior, he is very qualified but because of his age and fatigue that he has suffered so much for Nigeria.
“He should allow his younger brother to be his spare tyre not to take over just like that.
“But if Nigerians prefer him, I will support him. I am not too desperate but he should know that Nigerians like me too. And whatever he wants, I will do it for him, so this is our agreement, he has the highest respect from me.”
Atiku is 75. He ran as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019, but was defeated by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former VP, meanwhile, is yet to declare interest in running for president in 2023.