Obi Ezekwesili, Founder of the BBOG Campaign DROPS Out Of The 2019 PRESIDENTIAL RACE, PARTY THROWS ITS WEIGHT BEHIND BUHARI INSTEAD

👤 Danjuma Aliyu, DENISAURUS News

Obiageli Ezekwesili, a Minister who served during the time of President Olusegun Obasanjo has dropped out of the 2019 Presidential race.

Mrs Ezekwesli, the candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, who co-founded the Bring Back Our Girls campaign after the abduction of the Chibok Girls in Borno in 2014, said the “decision followed extensive consultations with leaders from various walks of life across the country over the past few days.”

The former Minister of Education and former convener of the Red card movement, will now work with a “broad coalition” to kick out the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the oppositions Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

“I deem it necessary for me to focus on helping to build a veritable coalition to ensure a viable alternative to the #APCPDP in the forthcoming elections,” A statement seen by DENISAURUS News on her withdrawal states.

The statement by Ozioma Ubabukoh, the spokesperson for the Obiageli Ezekwesili Presidential Campaign Organisation, further states that a “broad coalition for a viable alternative has now become more than ever before, an urgent mission for and on behalf of Nigerian citizens. I have therefore chosen to lead the way in demonstrating the much needed patriotic sacrifice for our national revival and redirection.

“I wish to state that over the past three months, I have been in private, but extended talks with other candidates to birth a coalition that would allow Nigerians to exercise their choice without feeling helplessly encumbered by the evil twins of #APCPDP.

“While the deliberations continued, I never hesitated for a moment in my willingness and determination to sacrifice my candidacy in order to facilitate the emergence of the envisaged strong and viable alternative that Nigerians could identify with in our collective search for a new beginning.

“My commitment to this promising political recalibration has been consistent and in consonance with my agreement, at the request of candidates under the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT) arrangement in 2018, when I consented to supervise the internal selection process as an outside observer passionate about building an alternative force.”

Many have always assumed that Mrs Ezekwesli, who was first appointed to serve in Nigeria’s Government by Chief Obasanjo in 2005, a known critic of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, would withdraw from the race to support the PDP’s candidate, Abubakar Atiku.

But, DENISAURUS News understands that the ACPN, Mrs Ezekwesli’s party has decided to support President Buhari following her decision to throw in the towel today.

Gani Galadima, the national chairman of the party, who held a press conference this morning noted that there was no seriousness in Mrs Ezekwesili’s campaign.

The ACPN Presidential campaign was in “actual fact” a subterfuge who was using the presidential ticket given to her by the party to “negotiate” to be a minister.

“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.”

According to Mr Galadima, “she does not deem fit to inform the party whose mandate she is holding. 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.”