Hours after she announced her withdrawal from the Presidential race in order to form a coalition with other political parties, the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) which is the political party of former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, says it will be supporting President Buhari’s re-election bid.
The national chairman of the party and Ezekwesili’s running mate at the time, Gani Galadinma, spoke to newsmen this morning and said Ezekwesili only wanted to use the ACPN platform to negotiate to become a finance minister whenever a new government assumes office later in the year.
Galadinma added that she never informed the party of her decision to withdraw from the presidential race. He said the party may take her to court as it is obvious to them that she was never serious all along. Galadinma added that Ezekwesili paid N100, 000 for the party’s presidential form which was put at N10.5million.
“The reason for calling this press conference is to let the world know about the presidential aspiration of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, which in actual fact, is not the truth. I have been put into confidence by one of her aide named Iyinoluwa Aboyeji that she only wanted to use the platform of the ACPN to negotiate to be Nigeria’s finance minister.
If you observe, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili is the only presidential candidate who was so militant in her campaign without any tangible thing on ground to indicate any seriousness in the prosecution of her campaign.
No campaign secretariat, billboard or great commitment on ground to indicate any seriousness. It is on this ground that the ACPN is withdrawing support for her presidential aspiration and endorsing the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari to take Nigeria to the next level.” he said
Galadinma added that Ezekwesili is expected to return to the party all the donations “from all over the world” because the party would have to account to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).