Presidential aspirant, Fela Durotoye, has been elected the
consensus candidate of the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT)
coalition to contest in the 2019 presidential election.
Many aspirants had met one month ago to form PACT with the
resolve to form a strong coalition and support a consensus candidate for the
2019 presidential election.
The aspirants initially involved in the coalition included
Kingsley Moghalu, Yele Sowore, Dr Thomas-Wilson Ikubese, Ahmed Buhari, Tope Fasua,
and Sina Fagbenro-Byron.
Others are Eragbe Anslem, Jaye Gaskia, Mathias Tsado, Victor
Ani-Laju, Alistair Soyode, Godstime Sidney Iroabuchi, Clement Jimbo, and
Elishama Ideh.
A month after that meeting, the coalition has presented
Durotoye as its consensus candidate amid reports that aspirants such as Sowore
have pulled out.
Even though the coalition started with 18 aspirants, only 13
showed up for the election on Thursday, and Moghalu and another aspirant walked
out in protest before Durotoye was elected winner.
In a statement signed by Durotoye, he expressed gratitude
for his emergence as the winner and urged those that have left the coalition to
work with him.
His statement read, "It is with profound gratitude and
great humility that I accept your nomination as the Consensus Candidate of the
Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT).
"I would like to honor all the members of PACT, 18
leaders, all uniquely qualified and able to represent 190 million Nigerians at
the highest office in our nation; who displayed great humility; understanding
that none of us can win as individuals, but by coming together as a team, we
bring our unique abilities and diverse strengths to the table; but most
importantly, being honorable to put the country first and themselves last. You
are true nation builders and our nation owes you a great debt of gratitude.
"Today, I would like to extend a hand to those who have
left our coalition and welcome those of similar ideologies who are yet to join
us, we are stronger together.
"I take this nomination as a Consensus Candidate with
great sense of responsibility; knowing that I and our generation have been
entrusted with a mandate to show Nigerians the kind of leadership they truly
desire and deserve and to inspire the hope of a better future; a New Nigeria.
"The 2019 elections will be a referendum between our
past and our future; between the same old change and a New hope, the old and
the young, politics and good governance, joblessness and jobs, politicians and
nation builders and between experience and expertise.
"We don't expect it to be easy. We will be held to
higher standards than the establishment, our methods and conduct scrutinized
more closely to determine if we are the same old wine, repackaged in new wine
skins.
"We assure you that we are nothing like what our nation
has experienced over the last 58 years, but we will earn your trust, and
eventually, your votes.
"I am not arrogant to claim that i have all the
answers, but I am humble enough to say that I will listen to all your
questions.
"And with such a great team beside me, the hopes and
dreams of Nigerians before me & by the Grace of God above me, we will
deliver a New Nigeria, starting on May 29th, 2019."
Durotoye, a leadership consultant, will contest on the
platform of the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN).
