2019: Buhari’s First APC Challenger Emerges From S’East

Dr. SKC Ogbonnia, a United States based oil tycoon has emerged as President Muhammadu Buhari’s first challenger in the race to clinch the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket in 2019.

Ogbonnia, who is the Chairman of First Texas Energy Corporation, declared his intention to run for president in 2019 in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday.

The business mogul from Nigeria’s South East, who reportedly supported President Buhari’s 2015 presidential bid, said in the statement that he decided to run so as to free Nigerians from the oppression of a visionless administration.

“After wide consultations within Nigeria and around the world, I have decided to seek the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under All Progressive Congress (APC),” said Dr. Ogbonnia.

“This decision did not come easy. But there comes a time to say, enough is enough. We can no longer sit idly by while a visionless clique continues to dictate our future. We can no longer sit on the sidelines while the masses, particularly the youth, continue to wallow in abject poverty and despair, despite abundant human and natural resources in the land. We must no longer sit and watch politicians deploy our common wealth to send their families overseas for their education and healthcare while the masses at home have nowhere to go for their welfare. We can do much better.

“But this campaign is not business as usual.

“This movement beckons an upright leader who is not part of the status quo—a leader who has the moral audacity to demonstrate consequences for bad behaviour in Nigeria without minding whose ox is gored. Moreover, this critical time in history demands a president who truly believes in the unity of Nigeria—a leader who understands that lasting unity is more attainable through equity, justice, and progress for all.

“Fellow Citizens, now is the time; 2019 is the moment, and I am that leader.

“Best of all, we shall fulfill our promises. We shall not be beholden to the selfish wishes of an oligarchy that typically funds Nigerian campaigns. Our team has the resources to fund this campaign—from the wards to the national level. What we need, instead, is God’s guidance and active support from the masses.

“The decision to continue with APC is quite in order. To encourage strong opposition activity and efficient checks and balances in governance, Nigeria’s democracy does not need too many political parties. Therefore, having made a defining history by displacing a dominant corrupt party from power, APC remains a beacon of hope for our democratic future.

“But we shall reposition the party as a model for true change in line with its founding principles. We are well set to provoke a paradigm shift in the APC to meet the yearnings of the masses.

“Fellow Nigerians, this movement is not about me. It is not about east, west, north or south. It is not about this zone or that zone. The movement is all about our inner conscience as Nigerians. It is about the future of our beloved country. It is about making Nigeria great for all. And we will win, God’s willing,” he said.