The Convener of YesWeFit Revolutionary Movement and erstwhile Presidential aspirant of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Dr. Thomas-Wilson Ikubese has formerly presented his manifesto to Mr. Fela Durotoye in a meeting of the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT), held in Lagos over the weekend.
Durotoye emerged as the Consensus Presidential Candidate of PACT on 30th August 2018 , following an in-house election supervised by the former Minister of Education and Convener of Red Card Movement, Dr. Mrs Oby Ezekwesili.
According to Ikubese, the election was in two stages. The first stage required that each presidential aspirant votes for any other Presidential aspirant who he/she believes has what it takes to bring about a New Nigeria. At the end of that stage, Fela Durotoye, Kingsley Moghalu and Mathias Baba Tsado scored two votes, while some scored one vote and others scored no vote.
The trio with two votes then proceeded to the next stage at the end of which Fela Durotoye scored 4 votes, Kingsley Moghalu, 3 votes and Mathias Baba Tsado, no vote. Durotoye therefore emerged as the Consensus Candidate of PACT.
Following the emergence of Mr. Durotoye, some Presidential aspirants in PACT who had consented to the process by duly appending their signatures to the memorandum of understanding which prescribes that they shall all terminate their presidential aspirations and support the emergent Consensus Candidate, went back on their words and continued to pursue their presidential aspirations.
Among them is Kingsley Moghalu who has described his involvement in the PACT deal as an honest mistake. Also, Omoyele Sowore, Publishers of Sahara Reporters has also distanced himself from the arrangement.
However, Ikubese who is one of the few remaining members of PACT who respected the terms of the MOU, has dropped his presidential aspiration and pledged support for the emergent Consensus Candidate.