Election 2019: 52 Aspirants Eye Buhari’s Seat

In News
September 15, 2018
Tony Iyare
13 Views
0 comments

No fewer than 52 aspirants are angling to unseat incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari. The number make up of those who have so far declared their interest to vie for the presidency baring the conduct of primaries by the different political parties which is slated to hold anytime from now. The contest will no doubt be

No fewer than 52 aspirants are angling to unseat incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari. The number make up of those who have so far declared their interest to vie for the presidency baring the conduct of primaries by the different political parties which is slated to hold anytime from now.

The contest will no doubt be a neck breaking one particularly within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which leads the pack with 15 aspirants, closely followed by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) with 6 aspirants.

Aspirants poised for the PDP ticket include former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his immediate predecessor, David Mark, Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal and Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo. Others include Rabiu Kwankwanso, Ahmed Makarfi, David Jang, Sule Lamido, Attahiru Bafarawa, all former governors of Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Jigawa and Sokoto states respectively. Professor Funmilayo Davies is the sole woman aspirant under the PDP.

Apart from former Governor of Kano state, Ibrahim Shekarau, most of the aspirants contesting on the platform of the APC are relatively unknown, leading to speculations that they may have been drafted to give an easy ride to President Buhari. The presidential candidate of KOWA Party in the 2015 election, Prof Remi Sonaiya is also in the race for the ticket of the party. Sonaiya who was the lone woman presidential candidate in the last election however has to to struggle the party’s ticket with two other contenders, Dr. Adesina Fagbenro-Byron and Mr Ayo Lijadu.

Both the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) share the third place with 5 aspirants each. Three parties, Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), KOWA Party (KP) and the National Conscience Party (NCP) are also placed fourth with 3 aspirants each.

Labour Party (LP) is fifth with 2 aspirants, leaving 10 parties – Re-build Nigeria Party (RBNP), Alliance of Democracy (AD), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Blending Party (ABP), African Action Congress (AAC), Young Progressive Party (YPP), Advance Alliance Party (AAP), National Interest Party (NIP), National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Sustainable National Party (SNP) to bring up the rear with one aspirant each.

Although it is not clear how the coalition between the PDP and 38 other political parties will play out in this contest, it is generally believed that the presidential election will be a two horse race pitching the candidate of th ruling APC against that of the PDP.

With the presidential contest getting to some feverish peak, its becoming clear that only aspirants with financial war chest will make any significant mark. The whooping N45 million demanded from presidential aspirants on the platform of the APC as cost of expression of interest and nomination form has already raised the bar. Both the expression of interest and nomination forms is also pegged at N12 million by the PDP for its presidential aspirants..

Human rights activist, Dr Femi Aborishade says these outrageous costs give the impression that the presidency in Nigeria is now for the highest bidder. “Our politics is now cash and carry and not for people with ideas,” he says.

COMPILED LIST OF PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS

All Progressive Congress ( APC)