Why I’m the best alternative to Buhari, Atiku – Oby Ezekwesili

The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria’s (ACPN) Presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections, Oby Ezekwesili, says she represents an alternative to the candidates of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The former education minister stated this in a series of tweets posted on the social media on Monday.

Mrs Ezekwesili will be contesting the election alongside President Muhammadu Buhari of APC and former Vice president Atiku Abubakar of the PDP.

She said the past leaders who served under different administrations and will be major contenders in the 2019 poll have failed Nigeria.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has now shown neither the capacity nor the aptitude for the highest office in the land,” she tweeted.

“This time it is: ‘Anyone But Buhari’. And by that they mean that we should reinstate the failed PDP and its candidate, former vice president Atiku Abubakar because they think Atiku is the only person that can defeat Buhari in 2019.”

“And in 2023, when Atiku and the PDP inevitably fail again, because a bad tree cannot bear good fruit, we will hear new chants of ‘Anyone But Atiku’.”

She said she is running for president to lead a people’s movement that will “permanently terminate bad leadership, retire these incompetents and fight for every Nigerian.

“For those of you considering the PDP as an alternative, I really want to ask you: what is the thing that you see about them that is any different from the APC. Really? These people are the same: Siamese Twins of Failure,”

“I just laugh when I hear some people say our citizens movement will split opposition votes. But the PDP is not in opposition to the APC. The candidate of the PDP has over the past 14 years gone from PDP to AC, AC to PDP, PDP to APC and now back to PDP.”

Mrs. Oby then shared her experiences, while a serving minister in the Obasanjo-led government with Mr. Abubakar as the VP.

“Six and a half years after, I had fought the fight that had to be fought from within, and then I left government knowing for sure that if this political order is not changed, the work of good governance that we do within government will never last.

“I returned from the World Bank five years later to do just that, and the PDP was still at it! Same incentives, same behavior. The political class was completely unchanged – and had in fact become completely worse.

“The flow of revenue to the university will slow dramatically if Atiku’s political fortunes continue to wane. Construction delays on campus have also raised fears that the prospects for the university are linked to Atiku’s political success.”

According to the candidate, a special report by a US Senate Committee on Foreign Corruption concluded that “over an eight-year period from 2000 to 2008, Atiku and his wife, Jennifer Douglas were able to bring over $40 million in suspect funds into the United States…”

“If we dive into all the filthy issues involving the PDP candidate – from PTDF saga to $2.8 million Siemens bribery scandal – we may spend the entire day here today and I simply do not have that time. So let us talk about the present administration, the evil twin.”

Speaking about Mr. Buhari, she said that his government affected the nation’s economy negatively and has been fighting corruption “nepotistically.”

“What is the primary legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari? It is the destruction of our nation’s wealth, presiding over the worst economic recession Nigeria has seen in decades.”

“If we dive into all the other issues involving the APC candidate – from the Air Nigeria nonsense to claiming in the morning that Abacha was not a thief, and then going in the night to beg for repatriation of Abacha’s loot – we may spend the entire day.”

However, Mrs. Ezekwesili pointed out that despite serving in the ‘corrupt’ government, her character is unquestionable with no allegations against her.

“I am one of the very small tribe of Nigerians who have served in government but who have no allegation of corruption against them. I don’t mean court case o. I mean allegation. Zero. None. Not one.”

Reiterating her achievements and contributions, she said; “We have in this race a candidate who has excelled in Corporate Nigeria, excelled in national government, excelled in private enterprise, excelled in international development, and then dedicated her life to fighting for every Nigerian from Chibok to Jos, from Abia to Ikot lkpene.”