Chris Ngige, the minister of labor and employment, has provided an explanation for why he is unable to endorse or engage in political activity on behalf of any of the four front-runners for the position of president.
While giving out gifts from his foundation to locals on Tuesday in his birthplace of Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ngige shared his motivation.
Ngige, a member of the All Progressives Party, claimed that since he had worked with all four of the presidential contenders at some point, he cannot choose one of them to support.
The minister referred to Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the APC, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party as his brothers, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as his best friend, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party as his sister.
Therefore, he advised Nigerians to cast their votes for the best candidate who would be able to represent them after critically analyzing their platforms and track records.
The four front-runners, he claimed, are qualified candidates with relevant expertise in state and federal governance.
“They are my pals, and I am familiar with them. They have previously collaborated with me in some capacity.
“When I was abducted as a sitting governor, the People’s Democratic Party’s former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was in charge of the nation’s affairs. He was filling in for Mr. President, who was away at the moment in Maputo. He directed that I be reinstated. He is the Chairman of the National Economic Council, where we were both seated. Together with Asiwaju, we founded the Action Congress.
“My close friend and political comrade is Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC. He was an enormous help to us as governor during the difficult times. Our group came up with AC. We collaborated in ACN, and on the Action Congress of Nigeria platform, I was elected as the only opposition senator for the eastern part of the country. He is not a stranger to me.
“My friend Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the NNPP. I was acquainted with him while he served as Agunwa Anaekwe’s deputy speaker in the federal House of Representatives in 1991. I am familiar with him because we were in the APC.
“Let the Nigerian people vote fairly, in my opinion. Let Nigerians examine them and their platforms and cast their votes in accordance with what is best for the nation.
“I don’t believe I will make the rounds for candidates A, B, or C. No, I won’t. It is not my specialty. I don’t flit from gathering to gathering. However, I do have some conscience, which I will safeguard and make sure is unharmed.
Prior to withdrawing from the election, the minister was said to have expressed interest in running in the APC presidential primary and to have bought the Expression of Interest Form.
