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The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
begins its national electioneering campaign today with a colloquium at
the ThisDay Dome, Abuja. The party’s standard bearer, Nuhu Ribadu,
yesterday said that he is still in consultation over who becomes his
running mate for the April 2011 general elections. He said that since
the party still has up to February 21 to submit names, the nomination
of a presidential running mate is a non-issue for now.

Mr. Ribadu, who spoke yesterday through
Ibrahim Modibbo, his director, media and communications, in a telephone
interview with NEXT, also confirmed that the colloquium was an
indication that the campaign had started in earnest.

“The issue of deputy does not come up
now because that is not a problem. We still have up to 21st of February
to submit the name, so, we are still consulting,” he responded.

Former governor of Anambra State, Chris
Ngige, and former minister of finance under president Olusegun
Obasanjo, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, are two possible candidates that Mr.
Ribadu is rumoured to be looking at.

Party manifesto

Mr. Ribadu explained that today’s
colloquium is to bring out the party’s manifesto to Nigerians. “It is
symbolic because we are starting in an academic manner unlike the PDP,”
he said.

The ACN’s national secretary, Lawal
Shuaib, did not answer his phone and did not respond to a text message
sent to him on the issue. Meanwhile, the ACN in a release over the
weekend, by its national publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, said the
party chose to start its electioneering campaign for April’s poll with
a colloquium to unveil the party’s manifesto and agenda for Nigeria.
The topics to be discussed, according to the statement, include issues
of governance, human rights, youth development, energy, managing a
democratic government, regulatory functions of INEC, the Electoral Act
2010 as well as water and sanitation.

“These manifesto and agenda encompass our contract with Nigerians.
Therefore, we intend to use the colloquium not only to present our
programme but also to ensure that Nigerians own the programme,” it read.