The candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Oby Ezekwesili, announced early on Thursday, January 24, 2019, that she was withdrawing from the race to focus on building a coalition before the February 16 election.

However, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the spokesperson to INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has disclosed that her name will still appear on the ballot alongside her party when Nigerians troop to the polls in three weeks.

He said, "It is impossible for any presidential candidate to withdraw from the race now. Therefore, the deadline for Ezekwesili or any candidate in that category to withdraw or be replaced has passed.

"Her party will appear, her passport will appear and her name will appear. So it doesn’t change anything as as far as we are concerned."

Even though Ezekwesili announced on Thursday that she would help form a coalition to contest against the biggest parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and their candidates, the ACPN has accused her of dishonesty.

In a

response to her withdrawal, the party chairman, Ganiyu Galadima, said the former minister was using the party's platform to negotiate for the position of Minister of Finance with the opposition.

Galadima, who was also Ezekwesili's running mate, announced that the ACPN would back President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC for re-election in the February 16 election.

The election is billed as a contest between Buhari and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, with 70 other candidates in the race.