Oby Ezekwesili says she's tired of seeing Nigeria always at the bottom

Candidate in the 2019 presidential election, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has expressed disappointment with Nigerias dismal status in world affairs, vowing to rescue the country from mediocrity if shes elected president.

The former Minister of Education said this during an interview on Channels Television's Sunday Politics on Sunday, November 11, 2018.

She said unlike the bulk of the political class that are also in the race, she's only after rescuing Nigeria from its perpetual state of underperformance.

The candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) said Nigeria is in a very terrible situation and that Nigerians cannot afford to keep waiting while the political class keeps the nation in a "pattern of cyclical failure"

She said, "I am in politics not because I need a title or need to answer Madam President. I'm in politics because there's an urgent need to rescue our nation. This is an Operation Rescue Nigeria.

"The political elite has been governing for the political elite, or perhaps they have been ruling, not governing.

"I'm interested in governing for Nigerians. I'm the candidate of the Nigerian people. For the first time in this cycle of politics, I really want us to discuss the people.

"I'm tired of seeing Nigeria be at the bottom of every league that measures what it takes to be a viable country.

"I'm tired of hearing potentials. I've been hearing potentials since I was a child and for me, it's become dire that we should do something."

When asked if she looks forward to becoming the nation's first female president, the former minister said she wants to be seen more as someone challenging the rot eating at the country.

"Leadership is gender-neutral. I don't come into this game sort of saying think of me in any kind of genderised manner. Think of me as someone who's got the character, the competence and the capacity and who's courageous enough to say let's stare down at this problem of failure of this country.

"This country is not destined to fail. We must challenge this dominant norm where people come in the name of wanting an office, I don't need an office. I'm tired of Nigeria failing. This is a rescue operation that we're on," she said.

She vowed to be the leader that will rally the populace to build a really vibrant society and economy that will ensure the nation will always be in a race to the top and not the bottom.

"I will be the one inspiring and mobilising the society to undertand that this century could be our century," she said.

2019 presidential election

The 2019 presidential election, scheduled for February 16, 2019, is billed to be closely-fought between President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

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.