Other presidential aspirants in the run up to the 2023 general election are intimidated by the character and credentials of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, says Omo N’Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin.

The traditional ruler expressed this view on Thursday when he received the vice president on a courtesy visit to his palace in Benin.

Former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, transport minister Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi are some of the aspirants contesting APC ticket with Mr Osinbajo.

“No doubt, your credentials, since you have come out to run for this great office, I think you are going to give a lot of problems to all the other contestants,” the Benin monarch said.

“There is no gainsaying that they all probably are shivering where they are because your credentials, calmness, humility and great respect for culture and being a true man of God, are frightening.”

The traditional ruler reckoned that Nigeria’s treasury will be safer if politicians like Mr Osinbajo, who “have the fear of God in their heart” are at the helms of governance.

“But what we see, most of the time, are people rushing to be president, vice president or governors, only to go there and loot the treasury, enrich themselves, leaving the electorate that put them there, hard and dry.

“This kind of thing should change; they should put the electorate first.”

The traditional ruler gave his royal blessings to Mr Osinbajo’s aspiration.

“As a man of God, if by the grace of God, you are the man, you have a whole lot on shoulder to remove all these vices out of our society and make Nigeria a better place to live and a tourist destination and in all spheres.

“We want to stay here in Nigeria and enjoy the good things of life in Nigeria, not in Dubai, not in the United States and some other countries,” he said.

NAN