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Tag: Presidential race

  • BREAKING: Bernie Sanders quits U.S. presidential race

    BREAKING: Bernie Sanders quits U.S. presidential race

    Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont dropped out of the Democratic presidential race on Wednesday, concluding a quest for the White House that began five years ago in relative obscurity but ultimately elevated him as a champion of the working class, a standard-bearer of American liberalism and the leader of a self-styled political revolution.

    Mr. Sanders’s exit from the race establishes former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the presumptive nominee to challenge President Trump, and leaves the progressive movement without a prominent voice in the 2020 race.

    “I cannot in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win and which would interfere with the important work required of all of us in this difficult hour,” Mr. Sanders said over a live stream Wednesday morning.

    He said that he would remain on the ballot in states that still have primaries scheduled and would continue to gather delegates, as a way of carrying his message forward and influencing the Democratic platform.

    “While this campaign is coming to an end, our movement is not,” he said.

    In a race reshaped, and eclipsed, by the escalating coronavirus crisis, Mr. Sanders faced no realistic path to the nomination after a series of lopsided losses to Mr. Biden, beginning in South Carolina in late February and culminating with a string of losses last month in crucial states like Michigan and Florida.

    With the public health emergency preventing both candidates from holding in-person campaign events, Mr. Sanders spent the last several weeks on the sidelines, delivering addresses via live stream and making occasional television appearances, while facing calls from fellow Democrats to exit the race and help unify the party behind Mr. Biden. Though Mr. Biden had been careful not to pressure Mr. Sanders, he had begun to move ahead as if the race were over, taking steps, for example, to begin his search for a running mate.

    As Mr. Sanders pursued the White House for a second time, he promised that he could transform the electorate, bringing new voters under the Democratic tent, but that goal eluded him. Even Mr. Sanders has lamented that he was unable to produce a surge in young voters.

    In early primaries this year, he also failed to show that he had remedied a crucial weakness from his 2016 run: a lack of support from black voters, a vital base of the Democratic Party. In state after state across the South — Alabama, the Carolinas, Mississippi, Virginia — he was unable to chip away at Mr. Biden’s strong support among African-Americans.

     

    Culled from https://www.nytimes.com/

     

  • SDP withdraws from Presidential Race, adopts Buhari

    SDP withdraws from Presidential Race, adopts Buhari

    The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has announced its withdrawal from the Feb. 16, presidential election and adopts the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the poll.

    This was part of the resolutions of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party in Abuja on Thursday.

    According to the NEC, “we cannot campaign, we cannot do anything because of the protracted legal issue and we feel that it is impeccable to technically withdraw from the presidential election.

    “We want to focus on the National Assembly, Governorship and State House of Assemblies election for which we have fielded candidates across the country.

    “We are therefore adopting the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, as our preferred candidate for the Feb. 16 election.”

  • Ezekwesili, party chair trade words over withdrawal from presidential race

    Ezekwesili, party chair trade words over withdrawal from presidential race

    Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, the Presidential Candidate of Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). has described allegation by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdul-Ganiyu Galadima that she was never really serious about her presidential ambition as baseless.

    In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, her media aide, Mr Uzoma Ubabukoh, in Lagos, on Thursday, said Galadima’s claim that she was contesting to negotiate to be Minister of Finance was a figment of his imagination.

    Galadima was Ezekwesili’s running-mate until she announced her withdrawal from the race early on Thursday.

    She claimed she withdrew from the race after due consultations with Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.

    Ezekwesili added that her decision to quit the race was informed by the need to help and build a coalition to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from winning.

    She said neither APC nor PDP could provide the kind of governance needed to reposition the country.

    Few hours after Ezekwesili’s withdrawal from the race, Galadima called a news conference, saying Ezekwesili had not shown the commitment to be President from the beginning.

    He alleged that the former minister was just in the race to negotiate to be Minister of Finance and that she had kept the party in the dark about her real intention.

    Galadima added that the candidate had used the platform of the party to get funds from donors, which she had not spent to show commitment to her ambition.

    The ACPN chairman said having realised that Ezekwesili did not represent the interest of the party, the party was endorsing President Muhammadu Buhari for re-election.

    Reacting to the allegations, Ubabukoh said Galadima’s claims were baseless.

    He said the candidate’s decision to withdraw from the race was taken to sacrifice her personal interests for the country’s interest.

    “All these allegations are figment of his imagination. They are baseless. The decision to withdraw from the race is in the interest of the nation. It should be the nation first before anything,” Ubabukoh said.

  • 2019: INEC rejects Ezekwesili’s last minute withdrawal from presidential race

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said it is too late for any candidate to withdraw from contesting any position in the upcoming elections slated to commence from February 16, 2019.

    INEC said this in reaction to Oby Ezekwesili stepping down as presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).

    Ezekwesili announced her withdrawal on Thursday, saying she wanted to give room for a coalition against candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    But reacting via a statement, Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, said November 17 was the last date for withdrawal.

    “It is impossible for any presidential candidate to withdraw from the race now. According to the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 General Elections, the last day for withdrawal by candidates or replacement of withdrawn candidates by political parties was 17th November 2018 for Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

    “The deadline for Ezekwesili or any candidate in that category to withdraw or be replaced has passed,” the statement read.

  • 2019: Fela Durotoye denies withdrawing from presidential race

    2019: Fela Durotoye denies withdrawing from presidential race

     

    …Expresses readiness to form coalition

    The presidential candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Fela Durotoye on Thursday denied withdrawing from the 2019 presidential election race but expressed his readiness for a genuine coalition with other new generation presidential candidates.

    TNG reports that since Dr Oby Ezekesili of the Allied Congress Progressives Party (ACPN) withdrew her candidacy for the top job on Thursday morning, the internet has been flooded with unconfirmed reports of Fela Durotoye doing same.

    A statement signed and released by the Director General of ANN 2019 Presidential Campaign, Lanre Oyegbola, the news was not true. Instead, he (Fela Durotoye) is ready to come into any coalition with other presidential candidates, specially, Omoyele Sowore and Professor Kingsley Moghalu.

    The statement read in part: “To ensure that an alliance is formed and we present a united front, I am ready to come into any coalition talks with my brothers, Omoyele Sowore and Professor Kingsley Moghalu and to submit myself to any transparent that will help us arrive at a selection of a consensus candidate from amongst us.

    “To be clear, if the process produces any candidate apart from myself, I am ready to support whoever the consensus candidate is and to do all I can to support the coalition to win the 2019 presidential election for our generation.

    He further charged other frontline candidates to join forces together to seize the ‘historic window of opportunity for our generation to select one of us to go ahead of us…so that all of us can come together and speak with one voice at the 2019 general election.’

    He, however, commended Dr Oby Ezekwesili who had stirred the coalition movement following her withdrawal from the presidential race.
    “I have always believed that leadership is service and sacrifice and today, I would like to commend Dr (Mrs) Obey Ezekwesili for leading the charge to forming a viable coalition to presenting a consensus candidate for the 2019 presidential election,” he added.

  • 2019: Ezekwesili joins presidential race, unveils party today

    A former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili on Saturday made public her intention to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019.

    Ezekwesili was also a former Vice President of the World Bank for Africa made the declaration in a statement released to the media on Saturday.

    She promised to announce her political party of choice on Sunday (today), vowing to build an army of patriots willing to pull down the stronghold, “that is, the two failed dominant political parties in Nigeria – the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.”

    According to her, it is way past time for Nigerians to unify and mobilise nationwide to rescue Nigeria from mediocrity and enthrone excellence as the guiding standard.

    Ezekwesili said, “The pain of seeing us become a country where the worth of life is trending down to zero, sadness that we are now known as the world poverty capital with 87 million extremely poor Nigerians, and anguish at the increase in the number of out-of-school children constitute a driving force for seeking the office of the President.

    “Trust in public officials completely waned, angst knowing that only 10 per cent out of three to four million young people entering the employment market every year will likely find jobs, and concern about the future of Nigeria as a strong indivisible nation are the issues that have also compelled me.

    “I have fully persuaded myself to lead a people’s movement that will permanently terminate bad leadership, ethnic and religious divisions, mediocrity, and failures in governance. We, the people of Nigeria, shall run together and win.”

    While stating her rationale for taking the step, she said, “Our political class continues with self-absorbed attitude of seeing power as an end in itself, thereby producing no material improvement in the lives of citizens. This compelled a change of direction for me.

    “It is time to make citizens’ wellbeing the core focus of political leadership. It is time to reclaim our values that have become distorted and reduced Nigeria and Nigerians to ridicule by the rest of the world. It is time for leaders to offer exemplary and sacrificial service that will mobilise our people to build a cohesive, stable, and prosperous society in which every Nigerian has a stake.

    “I want to run for, and win the 2019 presidential election to serve and put the citizens first by mobilising and taking decisive actions on a number of big ideas that will help all of us build an exceptional nation that our future generation will be proud to call their own.”

    According to the statement, Ezekwesili, who recently made the shortlist for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Peace Research Institute, Oslo, Norway, owing to her “efforts in making the world more transparent and less corrupt,” plans to run an all-inclusive campaign that will change the direction and dynamics of politics in Nigeria.

    The former minister of education stated that she had no choice at this stage but to subordinate her feelings against politics to her stronger passion for ending the old order political ways, “which have entrenched bad leadership and governance failure in the country.”

    Ezekwesili, until recently, led the #BringBackOurGirls pressure group as co-convener.

     

  • Former Plateau governor, Jonah Jang joins 2019 presidential race

    Former governor of Plateau State, Senator Jonah Jang, will on Tuesday declare his interest in running for the presidency in Jos.

    Jang, representing Plateau North in the National Assembly, will lead his supporters to the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party to formally intimate them of his interest to join the 2019 presidential race.

    No fewer than 15 politicians have signified their intention to contest the presidency of Nigeria in 2019 on the platform of PDP.

    Recall that Justice Daniel Longji of Plateau State High Court on May 24 granted bail to Jang and a former cashier in the office of the Secretary to Plateau State Government, Yusuf Gyang Pam.

    The accused persons were arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and slammed with 12 counts bordering on alleged misuse of some special funds released to Plateau state by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

    The offences were said to have been perpetrated few months to the end of Jang’s tenure as governor in 2015.

    Jang had repeatedly linked his ordeals to his presidential ambition, insisting that they were politically motivated.

    Already, the Plateau PDP secretariat is wearing a new look ahead of Jang’s declaration today.

    A notice by the immediate-past Secretary to the State Government during the administration of Jang and now Director-General of his Presidential Campaign Committee, Prof. Shedrack Best said the declaration event will start at 12 noon.

    He said, “This is to notify party faithful and well-wishers that the date for submission of a letter of intent to the party (PDP) for the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Distinguished Senator Jonah Jang is now Tuesday (today) August 28 2018 at 12 noon. The venue is the PDP State Secretariat opposite NTA Jos. All are invited to grace the occasion.”

  • 2019: I’m still in the presidential race – Fayose

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has insisted that he was still in the contest for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 elections.

    He said activities of his campaign had slowed down because of his preparations to ensure victory for his party in the coming Ekiti governorship election.

    The governor spoke on Thursday during an interactive session with teachers in public primary and secondary schools in state.

    Recall that Fayose had earlier declared interest to be president on his party’s ticket despite the party’s decision to zone the presidency to the North.

    He further stated that his campaign would regain its steam after the July 14 governorship election.

    The governor also boasted that he would defeat Kayode Fayemi if he is picked as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

    “I am still in the presidential race, I am only waiting for the time Ekiti governorship election will hold so I can have the time,” he said.

    “Though, I am making contacts, I am reaching out to the people that matter across the country.”

    The governor is up against some governorship aspirants in the PDP who are aggrieved that he had endorsed his deputy, Kolapo Olusola, to succeed him.

    The aspirants have also called on the party leadership to keep Mr. Fayose out of the primaries and ensure a free and fair contest.

    “I have no role to play, only the NWC will present the delegate lists for them to elect the candidate, so I won’t interfere despite my support for Prof Kolapo Olusola,” Mr. Fayose said, while commenting on the primaries.

    “I have no regret supporting Olusola, if it were those people I had supported, they won’t be abusing me. But they remain our brothers and sisters and we are going to put our house in order at the right time so that we can be on the same page.”

    The governor urged the teachers to support Mr. Olusola the way they did to him in the June 21, 2014 governorship election.

    “Don’t vote for those that will come here and sack you,” he said.

    “When they sacked your colleagues in Kaduna State, an APC leader in Ekiti said it was a right step in the right direction and I believe such person is not good for Ekiti teachers.

    “Prof Olusola is a man of integrity, very hardworking and dependable , he won’t betray you. He will protect your interests and I want you to support him.”

    Fayose further assured the teachers that all the outstanding salaries. allowances , bonuses and pensions would be paid before his tenure expires.