Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu yesterday emerged as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria at the party’s special convention held in Lagos. Ribadu, who was among three aspirants who vied for the ticket, became the party’s presidential flag bearer for the forthcoming April 2011 poll following the withdrawal of the two other aspirants from the race.
The aspirants who stepped down for Ribadu are former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa and Mallam Seidu Mallami.
Ribadu’s candidature was ratified by the convention through a voice vote after the deputy national chairman of the party, Boss Mustapha, cited Section 6 of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that where there is only one presidential aspirant in a party, the party shall convene a special convention for the confirmation of such an aspirant and his name will be forwarded to the Independent Nat-ional Electoral Commi-ssion.
While announcing his withdrawal from the race, Bafarawa, who described yesterday as a great day in the history of ACN, said he had made it clear from his campaigns that he did not join ACN primarily to realise his presidential ambition.
He said his ambition was not a do or die affair adding that as a party leader, he had made a lot of sacrifices for the party and therefore after due consultation with his supporters and other wellwishers, he opted to step down for Ribadu with the intention to accord him maximum support.
Also in his withdrawal speech, Malami said he had been a victim of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s bad governance, saying his yearning all the while was for the emergence of a detribalised and credible president who can offer meaningful and worthwhile services to Nigerians, irrespective of where they live.
He said he had opted to withdraw from the presidential race in submission to the advice of the party’s leadership which he described as magnanimous by accommodating him and his ambition for such a high office despite being unknown in the scheme of Nigeria’s political equation.
In his acceptance speech, Ribadu who was full of gratitude to Bafarawa and Malami for their decision to withdraw from the race for him, recalled that he started his National Youth Service 26 years ago at the same Onikan Stadium where he was yesterday handed the party’s flag.
He said it was historic that he began his service to the nation in the same place he has now being given the historic responsibility of flying the flag of ACN at the 2011 presidential election.
Ribadu said the forthcoming elections would be a watershed in Nigeria’s history, as according to him, the elections will determine whether the country will continue to witness decay in its economy and other spheres of life.
He said his government would evolve a government of integrity, competence and transparency, insisting that his administration would ensure the emergence of a generational change from what he described as the policy failure of the PDP.
Ribadu said the main thrust of his government shall be peace and security, creation of new jobs, overhauling of the power sector, provision of housing and healthcare for the people, as well as a relentless war against poverty.
He assured that his government would embrace the principles of accountability, transparency, welfare of the people of Nigeria, and challenged the youths to embrace the opportunity at their disposal to bring about change in Nigeria.
Present at the convention were ACN governors – Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Rauf Aregbesola (Osun).
Others were former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his Ekiti and Ogun states counterpart, Niyi Adebayo and Olusegun Osoba, Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, Chris Ngige, Senators Olabiyi Durojaiye, Bode Ola and Ganiyu Solomon, among many others.