CUPP adopts Atiku as consensus presidential candidate

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has adopted the
Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as its
consensus candidate for the 2019 presidential election.

Atiku Abubakar

CUPP, the umbrella body of more than 45 major opposition parties,
disclosed this in a statement issued by its National Spokesperson,
Ikenga Ugochinyere, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ugochinyere said that the decision was arrived at few hours after a
closed door deliberation by members of the CUPP at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua
Centre, Abuja.

“Over 41 political parties in attendance endorsed the decision which enjoyed majority support.

“The coalition arrived at the choice of Abubakar after he towered
high on the criteria used by the opposition in arriving at the decision.

“These 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.’’

Ugochinyere added that the coalition would have a formal meeting with
Abubakar before Friday for final commencement of the coalition
campaign.

CUPP was formed in July by the leadership of 39 opposition parties
with the aim of producing a presidential candidate that would defeat the
ruling party in the 2019 General Elections and later form a government
of national unity.

The members of the Coalition include: the PDP, Social Democratic
Party (SDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Africa Democratic Party (ADC),
Action Democratic Party (ADP) and All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP).

Others are: Action Peoples Party (APP), Advanced Congress of
Democrats (ACD), Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), Democratic
Alternative (DA), and Grand Democratic Party of Nigeria (GDPN), among
others.