A former Minister of Education, Sandra Ezekwesili, says the forthcoming general election is a battle for the soul of Nigeria.
She said this in a tweet on Wednesday morning.
According to Ezekwesili, every registered voter must do all that is necessary to secure their Permanent Voters Card (PVC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had set Sunday, January 22, as the deadline for PVC collection but extended the deadline to Sunday, January 29, after protests from Nigerians.
“The 2023 Election is a Battle for the Soul of Nigeria.
“Have you done everything possible to get and secure your PVC?” she tweeted.
See tweet:
The 2023 Election is a Battle for the Soul of Nigeria.
Have you done everything possible to get and secure your PVC? #ActiveCitizen🇳🇬
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) January 18, 2023
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On Tuesday, Ezekwesili and Paul Ibe, media adviser to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), clashed on the social media platform.
The clash ensued from a Monday tweet by Atiku.
The PDP candidate had said that as the head of the Economic Management Team as vice-president to President Olusegun Obasanjo, he played a key role in developing strategies to revive the private sector.
Atiku, who was vice-president from 1999 – 2007, tweeted, “As head of the economic management team, while I was Vice President, I was instrumental in designing a private sector revival strategy and advocated for the opening of the economy for private sector investments in several sectors. And we made tremendous progress.”
But Ezekwesili, who also served in the administration, accused the former vice-president of “misleading” the public, saying the former vice-president was not the head of the Economic Management Team.
“Dear former Vice President Atiku, please ask the handlers of your Twitter account to stop misleading the public. You were never the Head of the Economic Management Team.
“This absurd Lie do you no good at all. Please ask your Team to stop it. Happy New Year. Wish you well,” Ezekwesili said.
Reacting to the comment, Ibe said Atiku was Chairperson of the National Economic Council and head of the Economic Management Team.
“Dear Oby Ezekwesili, I know it’s political season and people resort to all sorts of antics in support of their preferred candidates. But some things should be considered too low.
“It is established history that Atiku Abubakar as Chairman, National Economic Council, headed the nation’s Economic Management Team between 1999-2007, during which Nigeria had some of her best economic growth.
“In trying – and failing – to weaken his standing in public, let us not resort to this sort of jaded ‘aproko’ pettiness. If Atiku wasn’t head of the Economic Management Team as VP, so who was? You?
“This matter is a constitutional provision and you will do well either to bury your ignorance or advertise your apparent mischief. Enjoy the rest of your day but not in a bliss of ignorance, madam.”