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| Oby Ezekwesili |
It is no longer news that during and
after the Presidential Debate organized by the Nigeria Elections Debate Group
(NEDG) and the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) on Saturday January
19 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, the ecstatic applause that filled the
air was so much that even the deaf and dumb would have sensed that something
great is happening given the vibration, joy, jubilation and gladness that throng
almost every house declaring, “Finally the savior is here”, “These are the type of
Visionary Leaders we want in our country”, “These guys are just who Nigeria
need to Lead us”, “Imagining these three people coming together to form an
alliance or coalition” , "Now, we have a replacement having not to choose between two devils" amongst several other words that is in the lips of many.
It was so glaring that our Nation
Nigeria truly need a savior who will deliver the country from the impeccable
mess which has salvage it for many years by the corrupt politicians in the
ruling party APC and his counterpart PDP which according to one of the Presidential Debate candidate, Fela Durotoye of ANN, referring them as
"two
sides of the same bad coin".
This was also corroborated by the Kingsley Moghalu of Young
Progressives Party saying that
"One is a kettle and one is a pot. And they
call each other black."
Just in the early hours of today
(Thursday 24th January), Nigeria's leading Female Presidential candidate Oby Ezekwesili who was also participated in the Presidential Debate posted
on her twitter handle that she is withdrawing from the race, pledging to form
an opposition coalition to defeat the ruling party.
She said (extracts from her twitter handle), “following the
reactions of Nigerian citizens at home and abroad to the 2019 Presidential
Debate held on Saturday 19 January 2019, and after extensive consultations with
leaders from various walks of life across the country over the past few days, I
have decided to step down from the presidential race and focus on helping to
build a Coalition for a viable alternative to the #APCPDP in the 2019 general
elections.
This coalition for a viable alternative has now more than ever before
become an urgent mission for and on behalf of the citizenry. Over the
past three months, I have been in private extended talks with other candidates
to make a coalition possible that would allow Nigerians to exercise choice
without feeling helplessly saddled with the #APCPDP.
In doing so, I have not hesitated
to offer my willingness to step down my candidacy in order to facilitate the
emergence of a strong and viable alternative behind which Nigerians can line up
in our collective search for a new beginning. My commitment in this regard has
been consistent and in consonance with my agreement, at the request of then
aspirants under PACT in 2018, to supervise their internal selection process as
an outside observer passionate about building this alternative force.
Despite disagreements within 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 and focusing on building the coalition once
and for all.
We have no right to allow
citizens give in to despair. We will #Fight4Naija together, and prove to all
that the mess that has now become the political class will not be allowed to
destroy our spirits and the nation. We are also determined to ensure that the
message keeps resonating that our beloved country deserves better, and that if
we are to get the best that we deserve, we must fight for it. From last year, I
have made it clear to the nation that Nigeria has always had a 20 year cycle of
change - 1959, 1979, and 1999.
2019 begins another 20 year
cycle, and together with all Nigerians of good will, I stand ready to play my
part to ensure that we do not miss this opportunity to sing a new song. We have
no more time to waste. Let’s get to work!
These were the words of a woman
who served as a former government minister, and a founder of the civil society
organization Transparency International. She was considered for the 2018 Nobel
Peace Prize in recognition of her anti-corruption work.
Fela Durotoye has also in his twitter handle showed respect to what Oby Ezekwesili did by saying:
I have always believed that
leadership is about service & sacrifice & today, I would like to
commend Dr. (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili @obyezeks for leading the charge to forming a
viable coalition to presenting a Consensus Candidate for the 2019 Presidential
elections. To ensure an alliance is formed and we present a united front, I AM
READY to come into coalition talks with my brothers Omoyele Sowore @yelesho
& Prof. Kingsley Moghalu @moghalukingsley.
And to submit myself to any
transparent process that will help us arrive at a selection of a Consensus
Candidate from amongst us. To be clear, if the process produces any other
candidate apart from myself, I AM READY to support whoever the Consensus
Candidate is and to do all I can to support the coalition to win the 2019
Presidential elections for our generation. Let us come together and seize this
historic window of opportunity for our generation to select one of us to go
ahead of us ... so that ALL OF US can come together and speak with one voice at
the 2019 General Elections.
Oby Ezekwesili is known more recently for
her work as co-founder of
'Bring Back Our Girls', a campaign which seeks to
raise awareness about some 270 girls who were kidnapped from their school in
the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok in April 2014 by Boko Haram.
Many of the girls managed to
escape in the hours following their abduction or have been released in the last
few years, but about 100 are still missing and their condition is unknown.
From my point of view, It would however be in the best interest
of this nation to support a visionary and young leader who is passionate in the
right direction and not a clueless old ruler who is dispassionate and taking us
to the grave as Mo Ibrahim, the Chairman, Mo Ibrahim Foundation in his words
said,
“Why do we pick up leaders at 90 years old to lead… to lead us where?… to
the grave?
That is a deep word for thought."
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| Banjo Isaiah, a writer, a youth leader, a media practitioner, an administrator and political analyst writes from Oluyole Estate, Ibadan, Nigeria. |
