Presidential aspirant Emeka Nwajiuba says he boycotted the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja because of the party’s refusal to zone the position to the south-east.
Nwajiuba, an Imo State indigene and former minister of state for education, raised dust when he bought the N100 million presidential nomination and expression of interest forms, as Nigerians accused him of being insensitive to ASUU strike which has seen federal universities closed for months.
Explaining why he stayed away from the convention, his brother Chinedum Nwajiuba said in a statement, “The understanding from the highest levels prior to his involvement, and considering his role in the founding of the APC, was that of consensus as was with the National Chairmanship a few months ago.
“With that understanding, the presidential ticket was to come to the south, and the south-east.
“This has been the hope till the end of the negotiations. He, not wanting to be part of the Dollar and Naira bazaar, is convinced that what Nigeria needs now is no more of the same thing that has kept Nigeria at the low level it has been.
“Our challenges as a country cannot be addressed at the same energy level by which they were created.”
Nwajiuba’s absence at the convention became noticeable when the master of ceremony, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, repeatedly called his name for his speech but there was no response.
