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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has explained why he will not campaign for any of the 18 presidential candidates ahead of the February 25 election including his party’s candidate, Bola Tinubu.
Ngige who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pointed out the four frontline presidential candidates are his friends.
He said this yesterday while speaking at his hometown in the Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
He said, ‘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.
Read Also: Ngige Lauds Etiaba: An Epitome Of Good Conscience In Anambra
‘Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party 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 which he is the Chairman. We formed the Action Congress 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 Action Congress of Nigeria. He is not somebody I don’t know.
‘Peter Obi of 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 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 candidate 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.’
Many Nigerians have taken to social media to react to the declaration by the Minister.
