25th January, 2019
Former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili has given reasons why she dumped the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, and quit her presidential ambition.
She said the the ACPN leadership’s transactional approach to politics, which began to manifest in their attitude following the convention that adopted her their presidential candidate, was one of the reasons she dumped the party and sought for a coalition.
“All who know me can attest that I detest transactional mindset. I would have none of such and therefore extremely delighted to part ways after a tumultuous three months of hoping that the ACPN leadership would elevate to the new values of disruptive politics that one had desired for and preached within the party,” she said in a statement on Friday.
According to her, Nigeria and Nigerians deserved a new order of ethical, competent and capable leadership, saying that she had earlier assumed the ACPN was aligned with her to offer that, until it proved otherwise.
“The values and vision divergence with the party was a key factor that triggered my withdrawal from the presidential race on their ticket prompting me to dissociate immediately in order to help build a coalition for Good Governance. It is why I was instant in sacrificing my candidacy to uphold my values by withdrawing.
“Some hours ago, I arrived far flung Cabo in Mexico where our Albert Einstein’s Genius100 Visionaries meeting is holding. I was delighted to read reactions of real patriots to my announcement that I have decided to withdraw from the 2019 presidential race and end my membership of the ACPN. I have also seen the reaction of ACPN leadership to my decision.
“Fortunately, they have divinely helped me by making the Nigerian public now fully understand why I had to swiftly depart from their midst. How could I upon realising the divergence of values and vision with the leadership of the party continue to stand on such a political platform? My abiding vision has been to mobilise citizens to disrupt the old order politics of APC/PDP,” she said.
Ezekwesili said the party’s decision to immediately endorse the candidate of APC (President Muhammadu Buhari) which was announced by her erstwhile VP candidate who is also the Chairman of ACPN was their classic political entrepreneurship in full display for Nigerians to see.
As for the defamatory statements made against her person by the ACPN leadership in their statement, Ezekwesili wanted Nigerians to know that there was no iota of truth in any of them, saying that everything ACPN wrote or said of the campaign donations was a fabrication and outright lies.
“Our campaign was conducted with the highest level of transparency and accountability with impeccable evidence. I know and can guarantee that at all times because these standards firmly underpin my commitment to lasting values and professionalism.
“Only those who desperately wish to believe falsehoods would lend any credence to such puerile accusations by the leadership of ACPN. Only those who pretend ignorance of my legendary and uncompromising passion for accountability would give heed to such baseless statement,” she stated.
According to her, “I have declined any interviews until my return to Nigeria upon which I shall hold a world press conference to engage Nigerians on the actions I shall take even as we present full report of our three-month old campaign for the 2019 presidential election to the public.
“I want to again thank all who supported us in the last three months with their talent, time and treasure to run a formidable campaign. Without your support we would never have attained the height #Hope2019 achieved. You gave our disruptive campaign real value.”
She added that she would at the world press conference also provide insights into the citizens movement that “we are energised and committed to build. There is no end to our zeal to end the reign of bad politics in our country. Finally, take it from me that WE shall definitely build the coalition force that will terminate the poverty escalating governance of the two dominant parties in the 2019 election.”