By Kingsley Omonobi & Clifford Ndujihe
LAGOS—TO realise their quest of dislodging the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from power, 32 of the nation’s 62 political parties have agreed to present consensus candidates at all levels in the forthcoming general polls.

This was part of the decisions reached by leaders of the parties in Abuja on October 28 and subsequent parleys.

Among leading politicians, who agreed to make the arrangement work were Alhaji Lateef  Jakande, Chief Olu Falae, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai,Chief Rasheed Shita_Bey, Prof Pat Utomi, Chief A.C.Nwodo, Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim, Hon.Muhammad Ali Ndume, Minority Leader of  House of Representatives; Engr. Buba Galadima, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, Mr. Olawale Okunniyi, Chief Udemba JBC, Barr. Femi Falana, Chief Damia Ogbonna, Dr. Sadiq Abubakar and Alhaji Umar Mustapha.

The politicians and political parties will prosecute the battle on the plank of the Patriotic Electoral Alliance of Nigeria, PEAN.

The communique was signed by Lateef Jakande (meeting chairman), Alhaji Jamiu Ekungba (communique chairman), and Alhaji Umar Mustapha (chairman, Organising Committee).

PEAN further resolved that “all progressive political parties  in the country should, within credible and democratic culture, work together to ensure credible elections and good governance in Nigeria.

The alliance will work together for the formation of popular government in all the three tiers of governments. The meeting resolved to meet to ratify and further understanding on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 in Abuja.”

If the parties push through their arrangement, they will present a consensus presidential candidate from a crowded field of aspirants such as Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, CPC; Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, ACN; Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, ACN; Prof. Pat Utomi, SDMP; Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, ANPP; and Chief Maxi Okwu, CPP; among others.

Reclaiming South west

The ACN and the progressives are expected to use the platform to pursue their quest of reclaiming the South-West from the PDP. In 1999, the AD, which later broke into AC (now ACN) and DPA won most of the electoral slots in the South-West and all six governorship seats.

The scenario was reversed in 2003 with the AC retaining only one state. However, through the law courts, the ACN and LP have reclaimed two more states, leaving three for the PDP.

The consensus-building parties include: Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP; Action Party of Nigeria, APN; Nigeria Peoples Congress, NPC; Citizens Popular Party, CPP; National Movement of Progressive Party, NMPP; Change Advocacy Party, CAP; Masses Movement of Nigeria, MMN; Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria, LDPN; Movement for Democracy and Justice, MDJ; and United Nigeria People’s Party, UNPP.

There  are also Africa Political System, APS; New Democrats, ND; National Majority Democratic Party, NMDP; Action Alliance, AA; Republican Party of Nigeria, RPN; Democratic Peoples Alliance, DPA; Community Party of Nigeria, CPN; Peoples Salvation Party, PSP; Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy, MRDD; Mega Progressive Peoples Party, MPPP; Hope Democratic Party, HDP; Democratic Peoples Party, DPP; Peoples Progressive Party, PPP; and African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The rest are Labour Party, LP; Social Democratic Mega Party, SDMP; All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA; Alliance for Democracy, AD; Peoples Redemption Party, PSP; Kowa Party, KP; Progressive Action Congress, PAC; National Conscience Party, NCP; Nigeria Advance Party, NAP; Justice Party, JP; and Peoples Mandate Party, PMP.