Presidential Election: Cracks in NEPP, as Members Split Over Buhari, Atiku
By Alex Uangbaoje, Kaduna
Ahead of the 2019 presidential in Nigeria, the Nigeria Element Progressive Party (NEPP), has been hit with major crack as their members have splited over the candidature of the ruling All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The party’s leadership was said to have declared their support for President Buhari, while it’s Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate have stepped down for Atiku Abubakar.
The adoption of President Buhari is coming with the declaration of Coalition of Political Parties for him as their preferred candidate for the February, 2019 election, which NEPP was part of the signatories.
An arrangement NEPP, Presidential candidate, Ishaka Paul Ofemile and Vice presidential candidate Vincent Akinbami has distanced themselves from and adopting Alh. Atiku Abubakar of the PDP as their own candidate.
The duo in a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna on Wednesday, frowned at the position of the Party leadership, stating that it was an imposed decision.
According to them, “as the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidate of the Party, we were not contacted before such decision was taken. So we therefore condemned such adoption. This was not done in the interest of the members of the party.”
On the reason for the adoption of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential candidate, Ishaka stated: “this adoption stems from a candid and painstaking assessment of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar progressive manifesto and as a person who has the capacity, capability, intelligence, experience, understanding and respect for the country’s diversities and the ability to unite the people in order to collectively wage war against insecurity, instability, corruption, economic depression, joblessness , and disunity in the country”.
