2019: I am still in the race and committed to ANN – Olawepo-Hashim….says relics of Abacha dictatorship threatening to hijack the party

The Frontline presidential aspirant of the Alliance for New Nigeria, Gbenga Olawepo- Hashim, on Saturday, declared that he remains on course to clinch the party’s presidential slot, adding that some relics of the defeated Abacha dictatorship were threatening to hijack the ANN.

Olawepo made the declaration at media briefing in Abuja.

His words; “I and my leaders would not abandon the structure of the party for the desperate elements working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).”

“I am in the race. I have only pulled out of the hurried convention of the ANN fixed for today, Saturday, purportedly to elect the presidential candidate. I am still in the race for 2019 by the special grace of God.”

“We have about 19 states who are not part of the kangaroo convention. ANN intends to have a clean primaries on Wednesday.”

The Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Yunusa, who also spoke at the event, noted that: “The party believes in doing things right in line with the party constitution and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“In line with that, NEC will hold meeting today (Saturday) to determine the date of the convention. NEC members and nineteen state chairmen have already aligned with this decision”.

Kogi State Chairman, Hon Apeh Sunday, who spoke on behalf of the nineteen state Chairmen and the NEC members, said: “The chairmen believe in following the constitution of the party. He also said that the guidelines for the convention were yet to be ratified, while logistics issues were also not sorted out. In view of that, the chairmen have resolved to hold a NEC meeting late Saturday evening to ratify the guideline and also fix the convention for Wednesday October 3.”

However, some of the issues said to have justify the postponement of the Presidential Primaries to Wednesday, 3 October 2018, include the adoption of a credible list of delegates to be authenticated by chairmen and secretaries of each state, and the decision on the states who have held congresses and who are still omitted in the list of delegates, such as Kano, Katsina among others.

The others are decision on the status of women and youths of states who were excluded in the delegates’ lists, and the decision of the states that have not yet conducted their congresses, but are legally constituted, such as Abia, Adamawa, Gombe among other.

They however jointly reinstated the determination of the party to truly remain a new platform for the revival of Nigeria. They therefore vowed to resist “the infiltration of desperate boy scouts and neophytes benefiting from diverted public funds.

In his words: No doubt, we have black legs in our midst and we will give a big surprise to our detractors. The coast is clear for us to achieve what we want to achieve in 2019.

“We have come to exist. ANN is not a party of jokers and this is the signal we are sending around”.

Other NEC members who were at the press conference included the former Chairman, Dr. Jay Osi-Samuels, Mr. Olawepo-Hashim, National Secretary, Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Tijanni Isa, Alhaji Sahid Umar, National Organising Secretary, Hon. Makanjuola Ogundipe, amongst others.