16 parties eying Buhari’s seats so far

Sixteen political parties have so far concluded plans to field candidates that will challenge President Muhammadu Buhari at the 2019 general elections.

Buhari has declared his intention to run for a second term if given the APC ticket, but opposition is gathering momentum from different quarters with former President Olusegun Obasanjo leading the charge.

Leaders of some political parties who spoke with Daily Trust in separate interviews, yesterday, confirmed their determination for a change of baton in 2019, accusing the APC of ‘gross failure in governance’.

In PDP, which is the leading opposition party in the country, our correspondent reports that nine top contenders are already eyeing the ticket for the coveted office.

Leaders of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Accord Party (AP) have also confirmed their plans to contest the presidency.

Similarly, a timetable of the Action Alliance (AA) signed by the National Chairman and Secretary, Barrister Kenneth O. Udeze and Vernimbe A. James, respectively exclusively obtained by Daily Trust, showed that the party would conduct presidential primaries on October 5, 2018.

Our correspondent learnt that Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) also has Mr Abanitus Dangi as its presidential hopeful.

Other parties fielding candidates for the coveted office as confirmed by their leaders are the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Green Party (GP), Advanced Peoples Democratic Party (APDA), United Progressive Party (UPP), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and Action Peoples Party (APP).

“The hullabaloo you are seeing is corruption fighting back. He (Buhari) will be re-elected with more votes than in 2015,” he said.