Why I will not campaign for any presidential candidate – Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said on Wednesday he would not campaign for any presidential candidate ahead of the February 25 election.

The minister, who addressed journalists at his country home in Alor, Anambra State, said the quartet of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Atiku Abubakar, the Labour Party standard-bearer, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) are his close friends.

He advised Nigerians to look at the parties’ manifestos, and vote for the right candidate next month.

The former Anambra State governor came under criticism from APC members last year over his reluctance to declare support for Tinubu ahead of the election.

Ngige 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.

“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 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 where he is the chairman. We formed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with Asiwaju.

READ ALSO: 2023: APC chieftain demands Ngige’s resignation over reluctance to support Tinubu

“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 ACN together.

“We worked together in ACN and I became the lone opposition senator in the eastern region under the platform of ACN. He is not somebody I don’t know.

“Peter Obi of the Labour Party is my brother; his local government is next to mine here. He is 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.”

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