2023: Diasporean candidate emerges to challenge Tinubu, Bello, others for presidential ticket

Dr Philip Idaewor, Chairman, Forum of APC Diaspora Chairmen has declared to run for Nigeria’s presidency in 2023.

Idaewor, a medical doctor and chairman of APC UK, made his intentions known via a zoom conference of the campaign group and media on Sunday.

The Edo born chieftain of Diaspora APC, said his decision to join the race was to usher in new ideas that would help build on the achievements of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

There are a couple of party stalwarts many believe are warming up for the APC presidenial ticket, including national leader Bola Tinubu, Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello, and others.

“The best successor for President Buhari should be one with fresh ideas from the diaspora, who has the mental capacity and goodwill to adapt those ideas that have made life better for citizens of the more or better developed western nations,  to the Nigerian challenges.

According to him, the myriads of challenges of Nigeria though tough, are surmountable. My ambition is the ambition of diaspora APC chairmen, made up of personalities in different fields in various countries, and we think this is time for us to wade in and make Nigeria better,.

Idaewor said his first focus would be strengthening institutions against all forms of corruption in Nigeria and making them impregnable to criminals.

He said: “Corruption has cost and still costing Nigeria huge wastes. If corruption is tackled headlong in all sectors of the economy and government, then Nigeria will be steps ahead of achieving her dream status.”

He noted that some of the issues of poverty, insecurity, infrastructure among others were all tied to corruption, saying: ‘ eliminate corruption and you eliminate almost all our challenges.

” If I am elected, those who think they have ways of beating the system will have to think twice, knowing that the possibility of being indicted or caught will be extremely high,” Idaewor added.

Also speaking, Mazi Charles Eze, Campaign Director of the Idaewor for President and HOPE2023 Campaign Organisation, said the decision for Idaewor to run, remained a “Diaspora Movement”.

He said they understood it was a tough terrain but they would pull their skills to make it happen for the nation’s benefit.

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“It’s a very tall order but we have the capacity to pull it off. The kind of campaign we undertook for President Buhari in the diaspora is what we will bring in and indeed, we have learnt from those experiences. We know there will be challenges but we are ready for them,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr  Ayoola Lawal, Secretary of the APC Diaspora Chairmen Forum and Chairman, APC in the Scandinavian countries, said APC should consider ceding the candidacy to a diaspora member.

Ayoola said the decision by the group to join more active politics in Nigeria dated back to many years ago,  when some of them came in to contest at different levels in their home states.

“Those elections were experiences for us and we have built on those experiences and believe it is time to wade in,” Ayoola said.

Idaewor is a specialist Histopathologist, residing and working in the UK. He had his medical education in Nigeria and previously worked as a lecturer at the University of Benin Medical School.

Dr Idaewor had been Vice President and later President of the Resident Doctors Association at the University of Benin Teaching hospital, and also served as National Financial Secretary of the association at the national level.

He was for over three years, the Coordinator of “Nigeria Prays” in Edo , under the national chairmanship of Nigeria’s former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

He had been a member of the Movement of National Reformation (MNR) led then by late Chief Anthony Enahoro , and on the platform of the MNR, became involved in NADECO during Nigeria’s pro-democracy campaign of 1993 – 1999. In 1999 Idaewor joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and was a key member of the party’s governorship campaign organisation in Edo.

He was to later serve as Chairman of MNR Europe and later, the founding Chairman of PRONACO Europe. Dr Idaewor remained consistently a member of the defunct AD, and later Action Congress (AC) UK Chapter, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) UK Chapter,_ and now APC UK chapter.

He served at various times as the Head of Strategy, Congress Committee, Deputy Chairman and Chairman of these political parties.