Presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi on Sunday aimed a jab at fellow contestants who he said have mismanaged the economy but would seek to sway delegates with money to win the All Progressives Congress ticket.
Mr Amaechi urged the party delegates on such aspirants as they are “inexperienced” an “unelectable”.
“Politicians will come to ask for your votes, but please, as South-South people, politicians, and good people of Nigeria, don’t waste your votes,” Mr Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, advised delegates in Edo on Sunday.
“They will bring money here and say you should vote for them, and then nobody will care to ask ‘what was before now, what is his performance?’.
“Ask me as Minister of Transport, I’m working hard to make sure that Lagos-Calabar rail line begins and it will come through Benin. I can account for my part.
“So when those in charge of the economy come to you for votes, ask them how they have managed the economy.”
Amidst repeated denials, Central Bank Godwin Emefiele has been exposed as warming up to run for president under APC, in breaches of extant regulations.
The party’s expression of interest and nomination forms was on Friday purchased on his behalf. Mr Emefiele said a group of farmers did so without his behest as he will only decide his political future in the days ahead.
A month ago, hundreds of branded campaign vehicles bearing Mr Emefiele pictures were seen online.
Critics from the civil society and opposition parties have criticised Mr Emefiele’s apparent run for political office, calling on him to resign should he wish to do so.
He has also been excoriated for poor management of the country’s fiscal economy with the naira in free fall from N180 to a dollar in 2015 to the present value of N580 per dollar.
Mr Emefiele, a white-shoe bureaucrat, is not known to be a partisan politician neither is he a member of the ruling party.
Mr Amaechi said casting votes for inexperienced persons is tantamount to wasting such votes.
“Me, I come with experience, let them come with that experience. I come with the experience of being a Speaker for eight years and I managed my colleagues without being impeached,” he said.
The minister also stressed the importance of having an electable candidate on the ballot for the APC to win the presidency.
Scores of top contenders including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige, Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello; Ebonyi Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State among others are in the race to win the coveted APC ticket.
“The electability of a candidate is essential for you. If not, the APC will lose the election. For now, I think most electable. I have been tried, tested and trusted,” he said.
Mr Amaechi added that he had a wealth of experience and history of project delivery to show, from his time as governor of Rivers State and now as Minister of Transportation.