The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has offered reasons why he would not campaign for any of the four leading candidates in the 2023 presidential election in the country, including that of his political party, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He offered the explanation on Tuesday in his hometown, Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
This was during the annual distribution of Christmas largesse by his Chris Ngige Foundation to APC members, the indigent, widows and aged.
The Eagle Online recalls that Ngige was reported to have bought the Expression of Interest Form for the APC presidential race but later withdrew.
Tinubu eventually won the primaries.
Speaking at St. Mary’s Church Pavilion, Alor, Ngige was quoted to have said by his Media Office: “The four frontrunners are good candidates with cognate experience in governance at the federal and state levels.
“They are my friends and they are well known to me. They have worked with me in one way or the other before now.
“Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was at the helm of affairs in the country when I was kidnapped as a sitting governor. He was Acting for Mr. President who was away in Maputo at that time. He ordered my reinstatement. We sat together in the National Economic Council where he is the Chairman. We formed the Action Congress (AC) with Asiwaju.
“Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC is also my good friend and political ally. He was very supportive during our trying times as Governor. We formed AC together. We worked together in ACN and I became the lone opposition Senator in the Eastern Region under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He is not somebody I don’t know.
“Peter Obi of the Labour Party is my brother, his Local Government is next to mine here my successor and everything. I know him too well. I know his capacity.
“Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of NNPP is my friend too. I knew him as Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives under Agunwa Anaekwe in 1991 as Speaker. We were in APC So, so I know him.
“For me, let the Nigerian people vote right. Let Nigerians look at them and their manifestos and vote, according to what is right for the country. I don’t think I will go around campaigning for candidates A or B or C. I won’t do that. It is not my stock in trade. I don’t jump from party to party. But besides, I have some conscience and I am going to protect my conscience and make sure that I don’t hurt it.”
