The aspirant of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) made this call while meeting with members of the party's Edo State chapter in Benin, on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

He said the current government has turned Nigeria into a divided nation and called for a leader that can unite Nigerians and understands the country's problems.

He said, "The country has never been so divided as it is today; we need to unite this country and in uniting the country, we must have a President that speaks for Nigerians.

"We must have a President with whom everybody will have a sense of belonging. We must have a President that you all feel is representing you. We must have a President and a government where Edo State has its key role on the table, where things are done with equity.

"It is time for us to unite and to do that, we must move away from electing a President based on sentiments. We have done it many times. It has not worked.

"Countries that have grown did not grow by chance. Countries that have grown did not grow by trial and error. They had a leader that understood what the issues were."

Saraki dumped President Muhammadu Buhari's All Progressives' Congress (APC) for the PDP two months ago and has been making consultations across the country since he declared to run against him for president.

Saraki to battle Atiku, Tambuwal, others for PDP's ticket

To clinch the party's ticket to contest in the 2019 presidential election, Saraki has to beat other aspirants including former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; and former governors including Sule Lamido, Ahmed Makarfi, Attahiru Bafarawa, Jonah Jang and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Others are former Senate President, David Mark, former Senator, Baba Datti Ahmed, and former Minister Special Duties Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki.