According a news report posted by the international news platform Reuters, Mama Chibok and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Oby Ezekwesili has just announced that she is indeed running for President of the Republic of Nigeria. This comes after months of speculation after Ezekwesili publicly took on the presidency earlier this year for its shoddy treatment of the Dapchi girls and its inability to return home the Chibok Girls to their families, the cardinal promise on which President Buhari was elected.
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Ezekwesili started the RED CARD movement earlier this year as well to convince voters to vote away from the major political parties PDP and APC, and weaken their hold on government. She also participated in the PLATFORM series that has been advocating for public office reform. Her decision to contest the presidency brings full circle her attempts to effect change from the position of activist and puts her in direct contention with APC and PDP. Ezekwesili will also become the first female presidential candidate with actual government experience having worked as the minister for Minerals and then the Minister of Education between 2000 and 2007. She was also the vice-president of the World Bank and as such has the international respect and acclaim that was once used to pitch President Buhari to Nigeria.
Her decision to run further complicates an already interesting election cycle, we’ll watch and see how this plays out.
Edwin Okolo is an author and journalist who has worked with YNaija, TheNativemag and the Naked Convos.
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