I'M STILL IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE - RIBADU

Presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigerian (ACN), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has said that he is still a candidate in next month's presidential election. In a statement issued yesterday, on his behalf, the Ribadu Adeola Campaign Organization said it has recently been inundated with calls and queries from the media, friends, associates and teeming ACN supporters, seeking clarifications on a rumour that our Ribadu had stepped down from the presidential race.

The statement signed by Omoba 'Yemi Odusote, SA, media & public affairs (Lagos office), said: 'This is absolute falsehood and a propagandist campaign from our detractors and political foes afraid of the monumental rise in political stature and profile of our principal and the visible gains to our support base, from our campaign activities across the nation, since our flag off.'

It said that there has never been any meeting between Ribadu and any group 'representing a sectional interest, regarding consensus or not. And if there would be, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu and Fola Adeola remain the most generally acceptable presidential pair representing the general interest of the masses.

'They have also proved to have the will to make positive things happen and create the change Nigerians clamour for, judging from their antecedents in both public and private sectors of the economy.'

The campaign group said there is no such thing 'as Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu having stepped down and neither has he considered nor is he considering stepping down from the presidential race. Rather, we are very much committed to our resolve to emancipate Nigerians from the strangle hold of bad government of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, via our nine policy objectives of health, education, Niger Delta, infrastructure, power, job creation and industrialisation, corruption, Government spending and security.'