2019: Opposition against APC swells as 9 parties adopt Atiku, 6 more to join CUPP
Ahead of the 2019 general elections, opposition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to swell as nine political parties yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with amalgam of opposition political parties, the Coalition of United Politics Parties (CUPP) to adopt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar as consensus candidate.
This was as applications by six other parties willing to join the CUPP are being processed.
The nine parties signed MoU with CUPP in Abuja to push out President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Polls next year.
Recall that over 40 political parties under the aegis of the CUPP had two weeks ago adopted the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
At the MoU signing ceremony at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, the chairman of the steering committee of CUPP, and former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, announced that another set of six political parties had already submitted applications to be part of the coalition.
He asked President Buhari and the APC to immediately throw in the towel before they are disgraced at the poll in the 2019 general election.
According to him, developments in the country were clear indications that Buhari and the APC were not prepared for leadership.
Some of the nine new entrants in the opposition grand alliance are Save Nigeria Congress (SNC); United Patriots (UP); Reformed and Advancement Party (RAP); Alliance for Social Democrats (ASD) and We the People Nigeria (WPP).
Oyinlola declared that the exit of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from the CUPP was basically because it was not able to realize its political agenda within the CUPP fold.
On how the CUPP would withdraw candidates of its members’ parties from participating in the election, Oyinlola said: “We are working against a General and we need to be strategic, so I will not go beyond that.”
Barely two weeks ago, opposition parties numbering over 40 adopted Atiku Abubakar, as their consensus candidate for the 2019 presidential election.
In doing that, the CUPP disclosed that the decision was arrived at few hours after a closed door deliberation among members of the coalition. The statement issued by CUPP spokesman, Ugochinyere Ikenga, said “Over 41 political parties in attendance endorsed the decision which enjoyed majority support. The coalition said it arrived at the choice of Abubakar after he towered high on the criteria used by the opposition in arriving at the decision. “The criteria include: national acceptability; financial capacity; spread of his political party; leadership capacity; international acceptability; experience ; capacity to rebuild the economy; secure the country and unite all Nigerians.’’ Tunde Opalana, Abuja
In doing that, the CUPP disclosed that the decision was arrived at few hours after a closed door deliberation among members of the coalition. The statement issued by CUPP spokesman, Ugochinyere Ikenga, said “Over 41 political parties in attendance endorsed the decision which enjoyed majority support. The coalition said it arrived at the choice of Abubakar after he towered high on the criteria used by the opposition in arriving at the decision. “The criteria include: national acceptability; financial capacity; spread of his political party; leadership capacity; international acceptability; experience ; capacity to rebuild the economy; secure the country and unite all Nigerians.’’ Tunde Opalana, Abuja
