A former presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, on Monday explained that she withdrew from the race because of the desperation of the leadership of the party to get money from her foreign contacts.
She also described as “more laughable moments”, allegations that her presidential candidacy was a scheme to negotiate for a ministerial position.
She said the claim was “the height of political comedy. The national chairman of ACPN and running mate to Ezekwesili, Alhaji Gani Galadima, endorsed the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress barely three hours after her withdrawal from the presidential race.
The party had also threatened to drag Ezekwesili to court if she refused to return all the materials and donations she received within the short time she was in the ACPN.
But at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the former Minister of Education described the party’s endorsement of Buhari and the APC as “a classic somersault.”
At the event, the Oby Ezekwesili Presidential Campaign Council gave a detailed account of how funds received from donors were spent.
Ezekwesili said, “At one point, we were supposed to have a meeting with all the state coordinators of the party. Instead of the ACPN leadership to be honest about the strengths of the party and explain that some states did not have coordinators at the time, they hired fake coordinators, and asked the campaign to fly them into Abuja.
“The leadership of the party became frustrated that I was not using my global network to get some countries, organisations and foreigners to donate money to their party like the APC and Peoples Democratic Party do.
“The only thing I now owe the ACPN is a total and immediate separation from their camp. I have earlier today returned my ACPN membership card, party flag and other paraphernalia in order to signpost my complete separation.”
