ACPN chairman and Ezekwesili's running mate endorses Buhari after Inec rejects her withdrawal

ALLIED Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) has been thrown into disarray after the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) refused to accept its decision to replace its presidential candidate following the withdrawal of Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili this morning.

Earlier today, Dr Ezekwesili announced that she was withdrawing from the presidential race to allow for the emergence of a consensus candidate to challenge the two main parties the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking a second term as the APC candidate, while former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, standing as the PDP candidate is his main challenger.

Shortly after Dr Ezekwesili made the announcement, her party objected to the move, saying she did not discuss the matter with anyone before taking the decision. Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima, the ACPN national chairman and Dr Ezekwesili's running mate, said that the party would now withdraw her candidacy and give to somebody else.

Alhaji Galadima is also said to have endorsed President Buhari as his preferred presidential candidate. To complicate matters further, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, Inec's director for voter education and publicity, said is too late for any candidate to withdraw from the presidential elections, which are taking place on February 16.

Mr Osaze-Uzzi said that since Inec had released its final list of candidates last week, it had become too late for anybody to withdraw, adding that the logo of the parties would still appear on the ballot paper come February 16. According to the Inec official, the Electoral Act provides for a deadline after which withdrawals can no longer be accepted.

He added: “According to the Electoral Act, there is a time for withdrawal and that time has passed.  We have published a list of candidates and on election day, these are the parties that you will see, so it is too late.”

Fela Durotoye, the presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria, has also indicated that he would be willing to step down like Dr Ezekwesili in order to form a coalition that could defeat the APC and PDP. It is now likely that if he withdraws, Inec will refuse to accept it and his name will still appear on the ballot paper.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Galadima whose performance in the election debate for vice presidential candidates was seen to be very poor alleged that Dr Ezekwesili entered the race because she was looking forward to become Nigeria's finance minister. He is now expected to join the APC campaign team as he is said to be a keen fan of President Buhari's candidacy.

One party source said: “Galadima is not known and ACPN is not popular. By withdrawing from the race, the opportunity has now knocked at his door to endorse Buhari as this is what he has been looking for."

Alhaji Galadima said: "I have been put into confidence by one of her aides named Iyinoluwa Aboyeji that she only wanted to use the platform of the ACPN to negotiate to be Nigeria’s finance minister. If you observe, Dr Oby Ezekwesili is the only presidential candidate who was so militant in her campaign without any tangible thing on ground to indicate any seriousness in the prosecution of her campaign.

“No campaign secretariat, billboard or great commitment on ground to indicate any seriousness. It is on this grounds that the ACPN is withdrawing support for her presidential aspiration and endorsing the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari to take Nigeria to the next level.”