Ezekwesili begs Nigerians to not lower standards by electing Buhari, Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has urged Nigerians to not lower their standards to vote for frontline candidates, President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar.

While speaking in Abuja on Monday, November 19, 2018, the former Minister of Education said Nigeria needs a leader like her to make the country realise its huge potential.

She accused President Buhari of repeating the same mistakes made by previous adminitrations in the running of the country and urged Nigerians not to resign to low standards by voting for him or Atiku, a former vice president running on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

She said, "I cannot stand it when we choose to accept mediocrity or resign ourselves to lowly standards. Nigeria can do much better.

"I care about Nigeria and Nigerians enough to know that the back-to-back failed leadership has held us back for far too long, and if we do not take a stand and take our country back, they would still be here in years to come, holding back our children and their children. God forbid!"

I'll fulfil my campaign promises - Ezekwesili

Ezekwesili also promised Nigerians that she'll lead an honest government that will be committed to delivering on promises made before attaining office, unlike the current government who went back on its promises.

"The APC campaigned in 2015 on a manifesto that propagated the doctrine of restructuring. President Buhari went along with it every step of the way because it is all about getting into power for him. He won and then began to renege on his promises, including on restructuring. He suddenly remembered all the reasons why 'structure is not the problem' with Nigeria.

"I want to reignite belief in Nigeria's greatness by leading a government that would make clear promises to citizens and deliver on them, not like the current leadership which spent its first year in office denying all the promises it made to get into that office," she said.

2019 presidential election

The 2019 presidential election, scheduled for February 16, 2019, is billed to be closely-fought between Atiku and President Buhariof the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alongside Ezekwesili in the chasing pack is Donald Duke of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).

Others are Tope Fasua of the Abundance Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), Eunice Atuejide of the National Interest Party (NIP), Olusegun Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Adesina Fagbenro-Byron of the Kowa Party (KP), Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party (AAP), Hamza Al-Mustapha of the People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and many more.