Alliances and meetings have started holding at various levels, ahead of February, 2019 general elections in Nigeria.
Today, May 9, 17 registered political parties in the country came out to announce the formation of a new alliance to adopt one candidate in the 2019 presidential election.
The political parties launched the alliance today under the title of “G21”. While they disclosed that the alliance is still open to admit new entrants into its fold, it however cautioned that membership will not be allowed to exceed 21 political parties.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, National Chairman of New Generation Party (NGP), who doubles as the coordinating National Chairman of G21, Dr. Yakubu Shendam, said “The only way for us to cease power from the current dispensation is to come together in alliance. Of course, if we don’t do that we can’t go anywhere. We cannot win the elections on our own by filing various presidential candidates”.
He disclosed that, 17 political parties have already signed up for the alliance. Some representatives of the parties claimed to have registered for the alliance, were in attendance at the briefing that took place at the national headquarters of NGP.
Although Shendam failed to give details of the said alliance – its structure and modus operandi, including its manifestoes, he simply said “most of our parties have structures all over the states. All we need to do now is to mobilise our members across to begin to work in partnership with this G21.”
The political parties said, they are not merging like the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),prior to 2015 general elections, but to form an alliance, whose unity and purpose is limited to producing a consensus Presidential candidate in the 2019 elections.
His words: “We are only interested in the presidential election. The House of Assembly and National Assembly elections and Governorship will be run in our individual parties,” he stated, adding, “the issue of merger is not discussed here – we are only discussing alliance and take a position on adoption of a presidential candidate in 2019.”
Shendam, said the G21 is yet to identify who would be its flag bearer in the 2019 presidential election. “As we continue to hold our meetings across the country, we believe that we will be able to have and unveil our candidate to Nigerians.”
Others who also spoke on the sidelines of the launched alliance, said that, as political parties who have been actors in the Nigerian political process; the time has come to change the situation, whereby political parties are formed without winning elections.
