Chris Ngige says he will not campaign for any of Nigeria's presidential candidates

LABOUR and employment minister Dr Chris Ngige has said he will not work for the emergence of any of the presidential candidates in the forthcoming general elections taking place next month.

Nigerians go to the polls this February to elect a new president, state governors, members of the National Assembly and members of the 36 state houses of assemblies. Dr Ngige who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said the four frontline presidential candidates are his friends but he will not campaign for or against any of them.

Speaking at his country home in Alor in Anambra State, Dr Ngige urged Nigerians to rather look at the programmes of the candidates and determine which of them was better than the other, and vote right. He said he would not like to predict who would win, insisting Nigerians should be allowed to choose who they want to be their president.

Dr Ngige said: “Mallam Kwankwaso, is my friend, I know him too as deputy speaker when he was deputising for Agunwa Anekwe, one of our party’s strong men. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was the man who was in the helm of affairs when I was kidnapped and when I was shoved out of office.

“He was standing in for President Obasanjo, who was in Maputo and he ordered the inspector-general of police then, to reinstate me to office. I also worked with him in the economic team, the National Economic Council, so I know him and he is a friend of mine and we also formed Action Congress together.

“Peter Obi, my brother, my successor and my everything, I know him too and he is a friend. So, how do I campaign against any of them?

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu, my friend again, was supportive. During trying times, we formed Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) together and I became the known opposition senator in the Eastern Region under the auspices and platform of the ACN, so, he is not somebody I don’t know.”