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Another Nigerian political party adopts Jonathan as presidential candidate

Xinhua, February 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

Another political party in Nigeria, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has adopted incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the Feb. 14 polls.

The party reached the decision following the report of a committee set up by its National Executive Committee on adoption of presidential candidates, Abdul Isiaq, the party's spokesperson told a news conference in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria on Tuesday.

National Chairman of the party, Olu Falae, had hinted of the party's decision to adopt a presidential candidate.

The chairman said the development followed the inability of the party to produce its candidate.

Isiaq said the committee, in the report presented to the National Chairman of SDP, observed that of all the presidential candidates, only that of ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formally requested for the party's support.

He said the committee also observed that PDP had also accepted the SDP's required conditions to warrant the party's support.

Isiaq said part of the conditions was that PDP would faithfully implement the 2014 National Conference report as a basis for restructuring Nigeria.

Others, he added, were adoption of policy of zero tolerance for corruption and intensification of efforts to defeat insurgency in the North East, among others.

The spokesperson stressed that the support was limited strictly to the presidential election.

On Feb. 14, Nigerians are expected to go to the polls for presidential and legislative elections.

Two weeks later, elections for many state governors and assemblies are scheduled to follow.

This election promises to be the most competitive ever experienced in Nigeria.

The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) which has dominated Nigeria's political space since the 1999 transition to civilian rule, is also facing a more unified opposition than in the past.

The All Progressives Congress, a merger of opposition parties, is contesting the presidency, and its flag bearer, Muhammadu Buhari, has launched a vigorous challenge to the incumbent. Endi