Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili has lost the support of her Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), a reason that may have informed her shocking withdrawal from the presidential race on Thursday morning.
Instead, the party has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term bid.
Disclosing this Thursday, ACPN National Chairman AbdulGaniyu Oseni Galadima accused Ezekwesili of using the party for selfish purposes.
Galadima is also Ezekwesili’s running mate.
Ezekwesili gave hints in her withdrawal notice that she had lost the party, when she mentioned the resistance within over her idea to forge a coalition candidate.
“However, despite resistance from the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria on these and other issues, I have decided that it is now necessary to show by action and example my determination on this issue by stepping down my candidacy so as to focus squarely on building the coalition to a logical conclusion”, she said.
Galadima’s however indicated that ACPN is headed in another direction, when he disclosed plans by the party to back President Buhari, candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
Galadima accused Ezekwesili of double dealing, as a result of which, he said, the party has withdrawn its support.
“The reason for calling this news conference is to let the world know about the presidential aspiration of Dr Oby Ezekwesili which in actual fact is not true.
“I have been put to confidence by one of her aides, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji that she only wanted to use the ACPN platform to negotiate for appointment as Nigeria’s Minister of Finance.
“Unfortunately, she does not deem it fit to inform the party, whose mandate she is holding.
“If you observe, Ezekwesili is the only presidential candidate who has been so militant without tangible thing on ground to indicate seriousness in the prosecution of her campaign,” he said.
He noted that Ezekwesili had no campaign secretariat, billboards or commitment on ground to indicate her seriousness.
Galadima alleged that rather than show commitment, Ezekwesili had been going round the world collecting money on behalf of the party opening several accounts in the party’s name.
This, he said, she did without the consent of the party’s leadership.
“She must return whatever money she collected from people on behalf of the party, because whatever is given to her, belongs to the party.
“And don’t forget that at the end of the day, as a party, we must render account to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is mandatory under the Electoral Act.
“We want to use this medium to tell her that we are aware that monies were given to her and that we are not unaware of the various accounts herself and her personal aide opened to generate funds.
“We are aware that monies were coming to her in droves, but we don’t know the sources of the funds.
“She should please come and render account to us and give back to the party all that belongs to it, because without the party, nobody will give her any fund or donate anything to her,” he said.
Galadima added that the party may take Ezekwesili to court if she failed to return the monies she collected in its name and all properties in her procession.
He, however, said that Ezekwesili’s alleged withdrawal from the presidential race earlier today, was not a surprise, adding that she did it to save her face.
This, he said, was especially so because she knew the ACPN leadership had resolved to withdraw its support for her presidential aspiration.
He added that Ezekwesili only pre-empted the party’s leadership through the alleged withdrawal.
He stressed that the party had thought that she would bring in her activism into politics, but was completely disappointed by her actions.
He further said that the party’s decision to endorse Buhari’s re-election bid was its plan “B” haven been disappointed by Ezekwesili.
Galadima said the ACPN was especially supporting Buhari because of his agricultural revolution, transparency and accountability in projects implementation.
He noted that every fund appropriated for projects by the Buhari led administration had been judiciously used.