Nwajiuba: 3150 people paid for my APC presidential form… one man donated yams

Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, a presidential hopeful, says about 3,150 Nigerians contributed money to purchase his N100 million All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential nomination form.

The expression of interest form costs N30 million while the nomination form is N70 million.

Nwajiuba, a former minister of state for education, was the first presidential hopeful of the ruling party to secure his form.

Speaking in a chat with journalists in Abuja on Monday, Nwajiuba said he’s not sponsored by the bigwigs but by ordinary Nigerians.

“I must agree with you that we have a monetised politics, but I can assure you that we have a President Muhammadu Buhari elected who didn’t have money,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“I am only presenting myself to serve, I am not sponsored by the oil industry, so the only people who can sponsor me are Nigerians; 3,150 people made contributions and we bought these forms.

“I have members of the house of representatives from 1992 who endorsed me, even before they contributed money.

“Some have paid N1,000 each, one man from Nasarawa gave me 150 yams from his farm to sell, people are investing with the hope that there may be a new Nigeria.”

The former minister said he would abide by his party’s decision if the working committee of the APC opts for a consensus candidate. 

He, however, said the recent meeting by the south-east presidential hopefuls didn’t result in choosing a consensus candidate.

He said the region is not short of capable and intelligent minds that can lead the country.

“The south-east does not want to arrive at a consensus. The south-east wants to work with Nigerians,” he said.

“We have only seven presidential aspirants from the south-east in the APC and that is very small, but I am sure out of these seven, we have those in their 70s and in their 60s.

“We have those in their 50s, we have every type you need. Nigeria must have the full breadth of Igbo diversity.

“Any type you need, Igbo people have it, so what we said yesterday was that anyone that is chosen, we are going to back him or her.”