Nigeria's only female presidential candidate, Ezekwesili withdraws from race

Ezekwesili stepped down to help build a coalition to prevent APC and PDP from winning the election.

Candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, has withdrawn from the 2019 presidential race.

The spokesperson of her campaign organisation, Mr Ozioma Ubabukoh, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
He explained that the former Minister of Education stepped down from the race to help build a coalition to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from winning the election.

According to the statement, the decision followed extensive consultations with leaders from various walks of life across the country over the past few days.

“I deem it necessary for me to focus on helping to build a veritable coalition to ensure a viable alternative to the #APCPDP in the forthcoming elections,” Dr Ezekwesili was quoted as saying.

“It is my ardent belief that this broad coalition for a viable alternative has now become more than ever before, an urgent mission for and on behalf of Nigerian citizens. I have therefore chosen to lead the way in demonstrating the much needed patriotic sacrifice for our national revival and redirection.

“I wish to state that over the past three months, I have been in private, but extended talks with other candidates to birth a coalition that would allow Nigerians to exercise their choice without feeling helplessly encumbered by the evil twins of #APCPDP.

“While the deliberations continued, I never hesitated for a moment in my willingness and determination to sacrifice my candidacy in order to facilitate the emergence of the envisaged strong and viable alternative that Nigerians could identify within our collective search for a new beginning.
“My commitment to this promising political recalibration has been consistent and in consonance with my agreement, at the request of candidates under the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT) arrangement in 2018, when I consented to supervise the internal selection process as an outside observer passionate about building an alternative force.”