Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, one of the 73 presidential candidates in next month’s election has quit the race, in a shock announcement Thursday morning. Her spokesman Ozioma Ubabukoh, said the former minister and vice-president of the World Bank stepped aside to help build a coalition to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 16, 2019 election.
Ezekwesili said her decision to withdraw from the race followed extensive discussions with Nigerians at home and the Diaspora. According to her, the action is also prompted by an examination of the country’s electoral environment sequel to the 2019 presidential debate of Saturday, January 19, 2019.
But in an apparent shouting match, Abdulganiyu Galadima, Ezekwesili’s running mate and chairman of her Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), explained that the reason that informed Ezekwesili’s shocking withdrawal from the presidential race was because she lost the support of the ACPN party, which is now supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term bid. Galadima at a press briefing, accused Ezekwesili of using the party for her selfish interest.
Ezekwesili’s spokesman Ubabukoh thanked Nigerians, including campaign donors and volunteers, who supported Ezekwesili, saying that “every money donated to the campaign and funds spent will be accounted for in the coming days.” Ezekwesili gave hints in her withdrawal notice that she had lost the party, when she mentioned the resistance within, over her idea to forge a coalition candidate.
Galadima however accused Ezekwesili of double dealing, as a result of which, he said, the party had to withdraw its support for her candidacy. “The reason for calling this news conference is to let the world know about the presidential aspiration of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili which in actual fact is not true. I have been put to confidence by one of her aides, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji that she only wanted to use the ACPN platform to negotiate for appointment as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance. Unfortunately, she does not deem it fit to inform the party, whose mandate she is holding. “If you observe, Ezekwesili is the only presidential candidate who has been so militant without tangible thing on ground to indicate seriousness in the prosecution of her campaign,” he said.
He noted that Ezekwesili had no campaign secretariat, billboards or commitment on ground to indicate her seriousness. Galadima alleged that rather than show commitment, Ezekwesili had been going round the world collecting money on behalf of the party opening several accounts in the party’s name. This, he said, she did without the consent of the party’s leadership.
“She must return whatever money she collected from people on behalf of the party, because whatever is given to her, belongs to the party. And don’t forget that at the end of the day, as a party, we must render account to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is mandatory under the Electoral Act.
“We want to use this medium to tell her that we are aware that monies were given to her and that we are not unaware of the various accounts herself and her personal aide opened to generate funds.
Galadima added that the party may take Ezekwesili to court if she failed to return the monies she collected in its name and all properties in her procession. He, however, said that Ezekwesili’s alleged withdrawal from the presidential race, was not a surprise, adding that she did it to save her face.
This, he said, was especially so because she knew the ACPN leadership had resolved to withdraw its support for her presidential aspiration. He added that Ezekwesili only pre-empted the party’s leadership through the alleged withdrawal. He stressed that the party had thought that she would bring in her activism into politics, but was completely disappointed by her actions. He further said that the party’s decision to endorse Buhari’s re-election bid was its plan “B” haven been disappointed by Ezekwesili.
Ezekwesili, who is attending Albert Einstein’s Genius 100 Visionaries meeting in Cabo, Mexico, described Galadima’s accusations as all lies. She said there was no truth in the allegation that she diverted campaign funds. “As for the defamatory statements made against my person by the ACPN leadership in their malicious statement, I want Nigerians to know that there is NO IOTA of truth in any of them. Everything ACPN wrote or said of the campaign donations is fabrication and outright lies. Our campaign was conducted with the highest level of transparency and accountability with impeccable evidence.”
Ezekwesili promised to give a full response at a press conference on her return.
