The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) has adopted the candidacy of President Muhammadu Buhari hours after its presidential candidate, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili withdrew from the February 16 Presidential Elections.
The National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Gani Galadima, who was her running mate, in company of other national officers and states chairmen, told newsmen on Thursday in Abuja that Dr. Ezekwezili only pre-empt the party by her withdrawal.
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He also accused the former World Bank Vice President of fraudulently using the party to receive thousands of dollars and millions of Naira without the knowledge of the party.
“She only tried to use our platform to negotiate a ministerial position in the next political dispensation as Finance Minister,” Galadima said.
He said Mrs. Ezekwesili never consulted with the party before withdrawing from the race.
Other national officers of the party at the briefing include the National Secretary, Chief Paul Isamede; Deputy National Chairman (South), Otunba Bosun Omosule and his counterpart for the North, Alhaji Ibrahim Goronyo.
“We have been put into confidence by several of her aides one of which is named lyinoluwa Aboyeji, also known as Maureen, that she only wanted to use the platform of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) to negotiate to be Nigeria’s Finance minister. She only pre-empted the decision we would have reached today which was to withdraw her candidacy and give to somebody else.
“Our presidential nomination ticket is N10 million and expression of interest is N500,000 but when she came she said she did not have money, that she only had N100,000 and because we wanted to encourage women, we gave her our platform,” Galadima said.
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While announcing support for President Buhari’s re-election, he said, “It is on this ground that the ACPN is withdrawing support for her presidential aspiration and endorsing the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari to take Nigeria to the next level.
“We also seek this medium to inform our former presidential candidate Dr Ezekwesili to return to the party all the property in her possession especially the various donations that she has been receiving from all over the world.
“Whatever she had received belongs to the party and we must render account to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). So, it is mandatory.
“The National Secretary, Chief Paul Isamade, said the party was aware of all the accounts she and her aides had opened for this election to which donations were made without informing the party.
He said the party had confronted Mrs. Ezekwezili why she was using the platform to raise money.
“She showed us a piece of paper and said there was $5,000 in one account and then in another account, about N35million of which she had spent over N29million in local donations and that if we wanted her to transfer it to the party’s account right away, she would do so. That was over a month ago,” Isamade said.
Mrs. Ezekwesili had said in her withdrawal statement that she would provide details of her campaign expenses.
