Smaller parties attempt fresh plan to produce consensus candidate to run against Atiku and Buhari

PRESIDENTIAL candidates of several political parties have agreed to present a consensus candidate in next year's elections in a bid to break the stranglehold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In February, Nigeria goes to the polls and the battle for the presidency is expected to be a two-horse race between President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC and former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. Despite the fact that neither party has come up with any coherent policies of programmes to address the plethora of socio-economic issues Nigeria faces, they remain in pole position to sweep the vote in the country's 36 states.

Currently, there are about 20 other presidential candidates from smaller and new parties, who in contrast to the PDP and APC have published coherent manifestoes. In a bid to make their presence count, the Nigeria Intervention Movement (Nim), has said that these small parties will pool their resources together to enable them become a genuine third force.

Dr Olusegun Awe-Obe, Nim's director of strategy and publicity, revealed that several of the parties met in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yesterday to work on the plan. He added that the move was inspired by the recent pacts for structural merger signed by the Olisa Agbakoba-led People’s Trust (PT) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) founded by former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Apart from PT and the ADC, other parties said to be involved in the project include the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the Young Peoples Party (YPP), the African Action Congress (AAC) and the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). Their presidential candidates include Donald Duke of the SDP, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of the PT, Dr Oby Ezekwesili of the ACPN, Dr Segun Mimiko of the ZLP, Obadiah Melafia of the ADC, Omoyele Sowore of the AAC and Dr Kingsley Moghalu of  the YPP.

It is expected that these candidates will be asked to step down for each other so only one of them will emerge to face President Buhari and Alhaji Abubakar. Already, candidates like Dr Moghalu and Mr Sowore have been touring the country, addressing town hall meetings and selling their vision at rallies.