A former senate president, David Mark, on Tuesday provided reasons why he wants to be president of Nigeria.

Mr Mark, who represents Benue South at the Senate, picked his presidential nomination form from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat on Tuesday.

The lawmaker, the longest serving senate president in Nigeria’s history, joins a list of over a dozen aspirants to declare their intention to run for president under the PDP platform.

“Irrespective of our political persuasions, it is incontrovertible that restructuring of the nation is an idea whose time has come,” Mr. Mark said in a statement signed by his media assistant, Paul Mumeh.

“I believe it will further strengthen our bond of brotherhood and unity more than ever before, because everyone would have a sense of belonging and live in harmony in any part of Nigeria without any fear of molestation and intimidation.”

He said his blueprint ‘tagged 730’ will address critical areas of Nigeria’s national life.

He specifically promised to tackle poverty, unemployment and neglect which he said have forced some of Nigeria’s youth to undertake the very risky route of going through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in their quest for greener pastures in Europe.

The 730 economic model, he explained, is a strategy that will turn the economy around within two years.

“We will concentrate on developing our infrastructure, delivering on affordable housing, roads, rails and power. We will focus on education and create a pool of highly trained citizens with excellent IT skills who will be employable as well as create jobs.”

“We will support Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) as a matter of priority by providing interest free cooperative loans to produce optimally with appropriate technology which will be the main driver of the economy with attendant huge employment opportunities.”

Mr Mark was senate president between 2007 and 2015.

He is the fourth of his Senate colleagues to declare his intention to be Nigeria’s president in 2019.

Last week, his colleagues, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Jonah Jang separately declared their intentions to run for the same seat under the PDP.

Apart from the three senators, Mr Mark is also expected to slug it out with other major PDP aspirants like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe; as well as ex-governors Sule Lamido and Attahiru Bafarawa.

(PREMIUMTIMES)