Leadership of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, has criticised its former presidential candidate, Obiageli Ezekwesili, for withdrawing from the election which holds next month.
In a statement obtained by The Trent on Thursday, January 24, 2019 signed by Gani Galadima, the national chairman of the party and other party leaders, it alleged that the presidential aspiration of the former minister “was not real”.
“The reason for calling this press conference is to let the world know about the presidential aspiration of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, which is in actual fact, is not the truth,” the statement read.
The party also exposed a possible traitor in the Ezekwesili camp who may have exposed her true intentions for running for president to the party chairman.
“I have been put into confidence by one of her aide name Iyinoluwa Aboyeji that she only wanted to use the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, to negotiate to be Nigeria finance minister,” the statement read further.
“This she does not deem fit to inform the party whose mandate she is holding.”
The party accused Ezekwesili of taking the decision to withdraw from the presidential race without informing the ACPN leadership whose mandate she was holding.
It also alleged that the former minister was not serious with her presidential ambition as she only showed very little commitment to it.
“If you will observe, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili is the only presidential candidate who is so militant in her campaign without any tangible thing on the ground to indicate any seriousness in the prosecution of her campaign. No campaign secretariat, billboard, or great commitment on the ground to indicate seriousness.
“It is on this ground that the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, is withdrawing support for her presidential aspiration and endorsing the second term bid of President Muhammad Buhari to take Nigerians to the next level,” the statement read.
The party explained further that it was for these reasons that it decided to withdraw its support for the presidential campaign of the former minister.
It added that it has endorsed the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari who it noted would “take the nation to the next level”.
Other ACPN leaders who signed the statement are Paul Isamade, national secretary, Bosun Omosule, deputy national chairman (South), and Ibrahim Goronyo, deputy national chairman (North).
The party issued the statement hours after Dr. Ezekwesili announced her withdrawal from the presidential election scheduled to hold on February 16.
In an e-mailed statement to The Trent by the spokesperson of her campaign organisation, Ozioma Ubabukoh, she said the decision followed extensive consultations with leaders from various walks of life across the country over the past few days.
The former minister explained that she stepped down from the race to help build a coalition to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from winning the election.
