Ezekwesili angry, denies gunning for ministerial job


The Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) former presidential candidate, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has denied allegation that she opted out of the presidential race for a ministerial appointment.

The former minister, who was visibly angry over the allegation, described the claim as baseless, adding that it was beneath her to step down from the presidential race in exchanged for a ministerial appointment that she had held 12 years earlier.

Ezekwesili, who served as both Minister of Steel Development and Minister of Education in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, disclosed that she had three times rejected the offer to serve as minister from late president Umar Yar’Adua, former president Goodluck Jonathan and incumbent president Muhammdu Buhari.

Ezekwesili, who was emotionally charged, described the allegation as “height of political comedy”, and wondered why she would “go through the pains of launching a presidential campaign to negotiate for a role I last occupied twelve years ago and have thrice rejected since after?”

She said: “One of the more laughable moments of the past week was hearing allegations that my presidential candidacy was a scheme to negotiate for a ministerial role.

“This is the height of political comedy, I must say. Here are the facts that speak for themselves. Since I resigned as a cabinet minister in 2007, it is known that I have declined offers by different governments to serve as a minister again.

“Why would I then go through the pains of launching a presidential campaign to negotiate for a role I last occupied twelve years ago and have thrice rejected since after?

“Such mud-raking tactics is the reason why our best minds abstain from offering themselves up for political office thus leaving the worst of us to lead the rest. It won’t and can never stop me.

”It must not stop anyone of you who have watched the saga of the last week seeking to blemish me. It is in fact precisely why we must double down on disrupting this decadent “old order politics as usual in Nigeria.

“More hilarious was the accusation that I raised and looted campaign donations. It is only morally bankrupt politics that can make anyone even imagining such accusation against me.”

“Even as she said she was not above public scrutiny, the politician said:” No one is, but surely reasonable persons can see through the baselessness of these allegations.”

” My absolute dedication to public accountability is widely known and no matter how much we had hoped to raise as campaign support from the public we designed an accounting system to go beyond the basic minimum of accountability required by the Electoral Act.”

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