ACN picks Ribadu as presidential candidate

The former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu yesterday emerged as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at a special convention held at Onikan Stadium, Lagos.

His emergence followed the withdrawal of two other presidential aspirants -former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and Mallam Seidu Malami from the race at the last minute.

Bafarawa told delegates who were accredited and prepared to vote that he does not believe in do-or-die politics and that he was in the race to serve the people. Mallam Malami aligned with Bafarawa that he could see the leaders and members of the party wanted Ribadu to be the presidential candidate of the party.

At 4:15pm, the national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande who was accompanied by other ACN chieftains climbed the rostrum to announce to the delegates that Nuhu Ribadu is the chosen candidate.

Chief Akande said: ' By the powers conferred on me as the chairman, by the constitution of ACN and the Electoral Act, I hereby hand over the mandate to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as the presidential candidate of ACN.'

C hief Akande gave the party flag to Ribadu.
In his acceptance speech, Ribadu said: 'I humbly accept this challenge with an enormous sense of responsibility, knowing full well that the coming elections in April are perhaps the most important in the half-century history of our nation. The elections will determine whether Nigeria settles into the high road of progress or race dangerously towards economic decay and failure.'

Ribadu noted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been in government for the past 12 years and the Nigerian people have gained nothing for the long rule of the PDP. He also pointed out that the PDP administration earned more money than any administration in the history of Nigeria.

He assured his party men that these are the values his administration will bring to the table to restore the faith of ordinary Nigerians. He also spoke on the need for change, adding that the valid password for that change must be a generational one.

However, a chieftain of the party, Chief Tom Ikimi who was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs told Saturday Sun that the party is still interested in bringing other progressive parties together to ensure that the PDP is flushed out at the general election.

When asked why the alliance talks failed, he said many political leaders are selfish but that the party will not relent in its effort to bring the progressives together. He emphasized that it is in the interest of the party for General Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and other leading politicians to come together to dislodge the PDP from power.