2019 APC Ticket: Igbo oil tycoon is first challenger to Buhari
The
first public challenge in the All Progressives Congress, APC to
President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election has emerged
with United States based oil tycoon, Dr. SKC Ogbonnia declaring his
intention to vie for the presidential ticket of the party.
Ogbonnia,
a rabid supporter of Buhari’s 2015 election is the chairman of First
Texas Energy Corporation and also the Secretary-General of Nigeria Union
Diaspora, NUD a group that projects the interests of the Nigeria
community in the United States.
In a statement made
available to Vanguard, the Awgu, Enugu State, born businessman said his
decision followed consultations among Nigerians and the resolve not to
allow what he described as a visionless clique to continue to hold the
nation in bondage. Ogbonnia, a regular contributor to Nigeria issues in national and United States media in the statement said:
“After
wide consultations within Nigeria and around the world, I have decided
to seek the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
under All Progressive Congress (APC).
“This decision did not come
easy. But there comes a time to say, enough is enough. We can no longer
sit idly by while a visionless clique continues to dictate our future.
We can no longer sit on the sidelines while the masses, particularly the
youth, continue to wallow in abject poverty and despair, despite
abundant human and natural resources in the land. We must no longer sit
and watch politicians deploy our common wealth to send their families
overseas for their education and healthcare while the masses at home
have nowhere to go for their welfare. We can do much better.
“But this campaign is not business as usual. It
represents the much-awaited democratic mass revolution to take back our
country and make it better for all. The movement calls for a new breed
of leaders, including the youth, who have the zeal and the competencies
to cope with the demands of the 21st century. The movement calls for a
visionary and dynamic leader with the requisite knowledge, preparations,
experiences, and the capacity to transform Nigeria to greatness.
“This
movement beckons an upright leader who is not part of the status quo—a
leader who has the moral audacity to demonstrate consequences for bad
behaviour in Nigeria without minding whose ox is gored. Moreover, this
critical time in history demands a president who truly believes in the
unity of Nigeria—a leader who understands that lasting unity is more
attainable through equity, justice, and progress for all.
“Fellow Citizens, now is the time; 2019 is the moment, and I am that leader. Also
encouraging is that there is a wide path to victory. The masses, as
well as the international community, yearn for true democratic change in
Nigeria.
And we, the masses, are the majority. We have equally
become wiser. We shall no longer allow politicians to buy our votesfor
their selfish interests. We shall no longer allow them to use ethnicity
or religion to divide us as usual. We are united by common faith and the
greater good.
“Best of all, we shall fulfill our promises. We
shall not be beholden to the selfish wishes of an oligarchy that
typically funds Nigerian campaigns. Our team has the resources to fund
this campaign—from the wards to the national level. What we need,
instead, is God’s guidance and active support from the masses.
“The
decision to continue with APC is quite in order. To encourage strong
opposition activity and efficient checks and balances in governance,
Nigeria’s democracy does not need too many political parties. Therefore,
having made a defining history by displacing a dominant corrupt party
from power, APC remains a beacon of hope for our democratic future.
“But
we shall reposition the party as a model for true change in line with
its founding principles.We are well set to provoke a paradigm shift in
the APC to meet the yearnings of the masses.
“Fellow Nigerians,
this movement is not about me. It is not about east, west, north or
south. It is not about this zone or that zone. The movement is all about
our inner conscience as Nigerians. It is about the future of our
beloved country. It is about making Nigeria great for all. And we will
win, God’s willing.”
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