2019: Buhari, Atiku can’t intimidate me, my vision for new Nigeria –Ezekwesili

Former Minister for Education and Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in the 2019 general election, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has said that she is not intimidated by the political credential of President Muhammadu Buhari.

She also disclosed that she is not cowed about the credentials of Buhari as a retired Military General, former Military Head of State and Presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC),

or that of the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as former Vice President of the country or by any other.

Ezekwesili said that with her programmes and plans for the country, she was sure Nigerians will pitch tent with her to defeat the acclaimed heavy weights in the election.

According to her, she is confident that the people will buy into her programmes aimed at lifting over 80 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next four years.

The aspirant, who spoke in Lagos when she presented a blueprint on how she will lift 80 million Nigerians out of poverty to the media, said nobody can intimidate her either because of gender or political experience.

Ezekwesil also noted that Buhari has in the last three and half a year, showed the people the best he can deliver for them, which is to take them back deeper into the poverty index rather than lifting them out of it and that the security situation in the land is getting worse by the day.

Describing her agenda of lifting 80 million people out of poverty as the most important issue in her ambitious plan for Nigeria that shows her readiness to govern from Day One, Ezekwesili said,

“We expect citizens to hold us to account for every word we say and every promise we make, not just on our innovative solutions for tackling poverty which I would be sharing today, but on our entire manifesto.”

While expressing her belief in Nigeria and the promise she holds, the aspirant noted that “that belief is what drives me every single day of this journey. I am an impatient optimist.

I cannot stand it when we choose to accept mediocrity or resign ourselves to lowly standards. Nigeria can do much better.

I care about Nigeria and Nigerians enough to know that the back-to-back failed leadership has held us back for far too long, and if we do not take a stand and take our country back, they would still be here in years to come, holding back our children and their children. God forbid.”

She added: “I have a dream of a new Nigeria that works for all, not just for a small clique who see politics as their means to stupendous wealth while the majority of those they govern are afflicted with poverty and misery.

“I have a dream of an inclusive and prosperous country where there is equality of opportunity for all. Our country will be a great meritocracy where success in life is not determined by your background or tribe or gender or religion or family name, but by your talents and hard work.

“I have a dream of a strong, indivisible nation with a united purpose and shared national values.

“I have a dream of a new Nigeria that finally manages her diversity effectively and draws on the benefits of our greater creativity, innovation and shared progress.

“The Nigeria we would start building from 2019 would not trudge into the future with uncertainty like chickens when we have all it takes to soar with confidence like eagles.

I want to reignite belief in Nigeria’s greatness by leading a government that would make clear promises to citizens and deliver on them, not like the current leadership which spent its first year in office denying all the promises it made to get into that office.

“My mission is not just to change this APC-PDP government, but more than that, we must disrupt the politics and governance of the status quo and quickly chart a new course for the future of our country.

We have enough young people, many progressive men and women, who are signing up with our citizens’ party, ACPN, to unleash the principles of disruptive technologies to our politics for good.”

“We will pursue a Six Growth Poles strategy, which will be at the heart of our diversification agenda. We will focus on optimizing the economic performance and expanding the economies of the six geopolitical regions.

“We would consider innovative business models to transform our energy systems and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) would be empowered with a strengthened regulatory framework.

“There is a particular law in Nigeria which has plunged millions of citizens into terrible poverty. During the campaigns eight years ago, the PDP promised to amend it. It won and failed to amend it.

Four years ago, the APC promised to amend it. It won and has also failed to amend it or even make an attempt. You see why I say the APC-PDP are one and the same party?

That poverty inducing law which the ACPN government will amend once and for all when we get into power is the Land Use Act.

Replacing that bad law has massive positive implications for agriculture, mortgage, real estate and wealth generation in general,” Ezekwesil added.