12 presidential candidates withdraw from tomorrow's election and endorse Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari's campaign has got a slight boost after 12 of his rivals for Saturday's presidential elections  pulled out of the race and decided to endorse his candidature yesterday.

At a brief ceremony in Abuja, the candidates all pledged to withdraw from the race and support President Buhari's bid to get re-elected. Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina listed the candidates as Shittu Kabiru of the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, Edozie Madu of the Independent Democrats, Danjuma Mohammed of the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy, Mamman Yusuf Naptali of the Allied Peoples Movement, Ahmed Buhari of the Save Nigeria Party, Isabi Dansaki of the Mass Movement of Nigeria, Ikechukwu Nwokeafor of the Advanced Congress of Democrats, Alistair Soyode of the Yes Party, Charles Ughalli of the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party, Kenneth Kalu of the United People’s Congress, Isiaka Ebili of the Nigeria Element Progressives Party and Robinson Apu of the National Democratic Liberty Party.

Going into tomorrow's election, there were 70 presidential candidates but over the last week a few have pulled out, making the contest more of a two-horse race. With the latest endorsement, the race gets tighter between incumbent President Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Earlier this week, National Interest Party presidential candidate Eunice Atuejide bowed out of the race and asked her supporters to vote for Alhaji Abubakar. Also, the Social Democratic Party and Allied Congress Party of Nigeria have both decided to withdraw their presidential candidates and back President Buhari.

However, the Yes Party has denied that its candidate Dr Alistair Soyode endorsed President Buhari, claiming that he is still in the race. Despite Dr Soyode being at Aso Rock and taking pictures with all the other aspirants as they endorsed President Buhari, Elem Chukwuemeka, the Yes Party's general secretary, said he was only at the villa on commercial business.

Mr Chukwuemeka said: "Mr Soyode was invited to meet with some leaders and candidates as you know there has been various groups strategising to support either of the big so called parties. With other assurances of his proposal, he met with them and not to rock the boat, he followed them to the Aso Rock Villa. 

"His presence in the villa was sorely to sort out the issue, get more insight on other position and nothing else. It is therefore the case that our presidential candidate remains in the race to be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."