Muhammadu Buhari
• Ex-Malawi president roots for Oby Ezekwesili
• Group vows to mobilise over 26m Igbo votes for PDP
Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari will be re-elected next year.Speaking on their behalf, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State expressed the belief that the party would sweep the governorship poll in 30 states of the federation and enjoy a comfortable majority in the National Assembly.
Shettima, who heads the party’s national peace and reconciliation committee, described the crises plaguing the party across the country as inevitable, since it has to do with the contest for power in a viable party.He commended the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party for constituting the reconciliation committee aimed at placating aggrieved members of the party.
Said he: “It is normal in human nature that contestation will crop up, and the maturity with which we handle such determines the quality of leadership in our system.“We commend the leadership of the party. We are in control of 23 states of the federation. I want to assure you that we shall try our best to see that we reconcile our aggrieved members because the interest of the party supersedes our individual interests.”
Oshiomhole, who inaugurated the 42-member committee, said that APC’s pedigree as a viable party was responsible for the fierce rivalry among aspirants.
However, former Malawi president, Joyce Banda, has endorsed the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. Banda stated that Ezekwesili, who “possesses the ability to fight corruption,” had saved her from corruption allegations through her advice in the past.
The president of Malawi from April 7, 2012 to May 31, 2014 stated that “Nigeria needs a president like Ezekwesili.”According to her, Ezekwesili’s international exposure and skills would help to boost Nigeria’s economy.She said: “While fighting corruption during my presidency in 2013, Oby Ezekwesili advised me to protect myself with a forensic audit, which United Kingdom government supported. I am forever grateful for this transparent, accountable daughter of Africa; a servant leader pushing #Nigeria #Hope2019.”
On her part, Ezekwesili assured Nigerians that she would put effective structures in place to fight corruption.Meanwhile, the Eastern Peoples Front (EPF) has vowed to deliver 26 million votes from the south east to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, who will fly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flag in next years general election.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting yesterday at Marble Arch Hotel, Awka, the national coordinator, Ken Emechebe, described the ticket as the best alternative to re-launch the zone into the nation’s political, socio-economic position.To realise this ambition, the group called on all Igbo to vote the Atiku/Obi ticket in the 2019 general elections, pointing out that “Atiku has the interest of Ndigbo at heart.”
