THIRTY-NINE political parties have formed an alliance to wrest power from President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is acting as the rallying point for the alliance, under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).
But the Buhari Campaign Organisation has dismissed the coalition as a “deceit”, which it believes will only feather the PDP’s nest.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed by the parties at the end of an enlarged meeting at the Yar ‘Adua Centre, Abuja yesterday, resolved, among others, to field a joint presidential candidate.
The coalition also resolved to agree on common candidates for governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The MoU, which was read by Chief Tom Ikimi, also resolved to promote core values for the restructuring of the country and sharing of political offices among persons and groups across the six geopolitical zones.
The coalition also promised a unity government in the event of winning the election with a joint manifesto that will usher in a well structured economic and fiscal federalism.
Besides the PDP, other parties in the coalition include the Action Alliance (AA); Alliance for Democracy (AD); Africa Democratic Party (ADC); Action Democratic Party (ADP); All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP); Action Peoples Party (APP); Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD); and Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP).
Others are: Democratic Alternative (DA); Democratic Peoples Party (DPC); Grand Democratic Party of Nigeria (GDPN); Green Party of Nigeria (GPN); KOWA Party; Labour Party (LP); Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA); and Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN).
Also in the group are: National Conscience Party (NCP); New Generation Party (NGP); National Unity Party (NUP); Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM); Peoples Alliance for National Development and Liberty (PANDEL); Peoples Progressive Party (PPP); People for Democratic Change (PDC); Providence People’s Congress (PPC); and the Reformed All Progressive Congress (RAPC).
Others are the Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN); Social Democratic Party (SDP); Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN); All Grassroots Alliance (AGA); National Interest Party (NIP); Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP); Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA); and Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others.
Speaking at the event, PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus said the country has witnessed all forms of intimidation aimed at suffocating democracy in the land.
Secondus also cited what he described as frame-ups, arrest and total breakdown of law and order in some states, such as Zamfara, where the governor relinquished his position as the chief security officer…
