Eunice Atuejide, NIP presidential candidate withdraws, endorses Atiku for President

Emmanuel Ukudolo l Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019

LAGOS, Nigeria – Presidential candidate of National Interest Party(NIP), and chairman of the party, Mrs Eunice Atuejide has withdrawn from the presidential race and endorsed candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for president.

In her letter to this effect, she explained that at the time she set out on this journey in 2016, she promised to always put Nigeria first, adding that in doing this she invested so much into bringing together all the alternative candidates, adding when that failed she invested even more into her race for the Presidency.

“I pursued my bid for the Presidency like my life depended on becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019 and I have no regrets whatsoever”, she said. While noting that she cannot defend PDP for giving Nigeria bad leadership from 1999 to 2015, she cannot help either but blame the APC for doing a much worse job from 2015 to 2019.

“Plus, whether we call them PDP, APC, PPA, ANN, YPP, or NIP, we are all the same people moving from one political platform to the other in search of a place to speak out and be heard, or a place to come to power to serve our people, or a place to run free with our desire to steal our country dry”, she said, stressing that for her, the political party platform is not the real issue nonetheless.

“It’s either Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the PDP or President Buhari under the APC this time. I make bold to state unequivocally that I stand with Atiku under the PDP this time. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar picked an amazing VP. In fact, even though I have NEVER met or spoken to Mr. Peter Obi, it is thanks to him that I am today the Founder and National Chairman of a youth led, digitally organised political party (NIP). His exemplary leadership a Governor of Anambra State led me and several of my team members to politics.

“Quite unknowingly, he set the benchmark for me and several others. If Mr. Peter Obi could do all that he did in Anambra State and survive as a Nigerian politician, then I can too, and I will. To me therefore, provided
he is the same man who governed Anambra State, I have no doubt that Mr. Peter Obi will help Alhaji Atiku Abubakar provide us with a leadership which will always put the interest of Nigerians first”,she said.

Press Statement issued 19th February 2019

When I set out on this journey in 2016, I promised myself one thing – to always put Nigeria first! I invested so much into bringing together all the alternative candidates and when that failed, I invested even more into my race for the Presidency. I pursued my bid for the Presidency like my life depended on becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019 and I have no regrets whatsoever.

Indeed, no institution in the entire world could teach me the things I learned racing for the Presidency in Nigeria in 2018/2019, particularly as I started out being an overly idealistic young woman determined to save her country from demise overnight. The experience so far is a compulsory element in my political development and exposure to the electioneering processes in Nigeria, so I am grateful. My race for the Presidency was programmed to end on 16th February 2019, and it ended on that day.
Therefore, the Presidential Election proposed to hold on 23rd February 2019 due to the last minute postponement on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not involve me. In fact, that race is only between the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Therefore, every well meaning Nigerian particularly those whose party logos are on the ballot sheets should pick a side. Whatever we do on Saturday 23rd February, we will be voting either
Atiku or Buhari i.e. either PDP or APC for the 2019 Presidency.

So my people, having committed to always put Nigeria first, having gotten to know most of the candidates vying for the Presidency in 2019 one on one, having investigated most of them independently, and having seriously considered the inherent dangers in allowing the incompetence of
President Buhari to continue, I choose to fight for the benefit of every Nigerian on the side of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

I cannot defend PDP for giving us bad leadership from 1999 to 2015, yet I cannot help but blame the APC for doing a much worse job from 2015 to 2019. Plus, whether we call them PDP, APC, PPA, ANN, YPP, or NIP, we are all the same people moving from one political platform to the other in search of a place to speak out and be heard, or a place to come to power to serve our people, or a place to run free with our desire to steal our country dry. To my mind, the political party platform is not the real issue nonetheless, it’s either Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the PDP or President Buhari under the APC this time. I make bold to state unequivocally that I stand with Atiku under the PDP this time.

It is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for me this time because:
1) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar picked an amazing VP. In fact, even though I have NEVER met or spoken to Mr. Peter Obi, it is thanks to him that I am today the Founder and National Chairman of a youth led, digitally organised political party (NIP). His exemplary leadership as Governor of Anambra State led me and several of my team members to politics. Quite unknowingly, he set the benchmark for me and several others. If Mr. Peter Obi could do all that he did in Anambra State and survive as a Nigerian politician, then I can too, and I will. To me therefore, provided he is the same man who governed Anambra State, I have no doubt that Mr. Peter Obi will help Alhaji Atiku Abubakar provide us with a leadership which will always put the interest of Nigerians first.