AD Presidential Candidate steps down for Buhari

ABUJA – Barely 24 hours to the Presidential elections, the presidential candidate of Alliance for Democracy, AD, Rafiu Salau has stepped down for his counter-part in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari.

At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday where he announced the development, Salau said he took the decision to prevent Nigerian from becoming a one party State, urging the supporters of his party and indeed, Nigerians to vote for Buhari.

He said that vote out the ruling Peoples Democratic party, PDP.

Salau also told the people to eschew religion and tribe and vote for competence.

“Don’t give any other party your mandate to stay in power for more than 16 years. You deserve another team of politicians with different manifestos and ideology to serve you.

“As voters, don’t listen to those who based their campaign on tribe and religion. In politics, the difference is ideology. Religion or tribe has nothing to do with pure democracy. Those who see your vote by tribe or religious influence have no program to implement for the greatness of the country.

“The democracy is yours. Control it so that no party will take it away from you. PDP has been in power for 16 years and It has tried its best.

“No matter good the performance of PDP for the past 16 years, you need to vote for another party before you can know that you will always get a better performance when you create competition among the parties.

“All of you, the 68 million voters shoukd vote for General Buhari, the candidate of the democrats who will bring change. Vote APC. Show the world that you are in control of your democracy”, Salau said.

Responding, the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun thanked the AD candidate who was equally the national chairman of the party, said that Buhari was better qualified to lead Nigeria.

“By identifying with Buhari, it means that you must have to look at our programmes and our candidate and judge. You can see they are people-oriented. Our candidate is more qualified to lead the country.

“I am asking people to judge the administration of President Jonathan whether they really deserve any support of any kind. The PDP government has failed in every aspect. The main business of government today is corruption”, Oyegun said.

 

AD Presidential Candidate steps down for Buhari

Nigeria 2015: AD blasts APC, PDP over exorbitant nomination forms; offers free forms to candidates

The Alliance for Democracy, AD, has criticized Nigeria’s leading political parties for charging exorbitant rates for nomination forms into public offices.

The presidential nomination form of the main opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, is the highest at N27.5 million, followed by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s, at N22 million.

A former head of state, Muhammdu Buhari, said he took a bank loan to pay for his APC presidential form.

In a statement Monday, the AD said people seeking elective positions do not have to take loans to vie for such offices.

“The high cost of nomination forms will turn politics into business. The party believes that to ask for high fees for nomination forms is a creation of foundation of corruption,” the statement signed by the AD National Secretary, Rafiu Salau, said.

He said the high cost of nomination forms sold to prospective candidates can turn politics into business.

“Unfortunately, if occupying elective office requires selling of properties or acquiring loans, some of the members of the political class will see an elective position as a business and an opportunity to increase their wealth.”

Mr. Salau said against this background, the AD would give out its nomination and expression of interest forms free to all candidates and for all positions.

“Alliance for democracy doesn’t see politics as business. It is for the service of the people.

“Contesting for elective positions is to contribute to the development of the constituencies in particular and the nation in general.

“An elective office should not be portrayed as a business for generating personal revenue. In the light of this, the party will not follow the style of politics as business, which encourages demand for high fees for nomination forms.

“Therefore, Alliance for Democracy will give its nomination forms free to all Nigerians interested in serving the people. The elective positions are not for the candidates but the people,” he said.

He urged the electorate to approach the good leaders in their various constituencies to come out to serve them.

He said that the people should make their contributions to the best candidates and become volunteers to serve as party agents to protect their votes.

(NAN)

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Nigeria 2015: AD blasts APC, PDP over exorbitant nomination forms; offers free forms to candidates