2019 Election: Buhari’s challenger steps down

One of the Presidential hopefuls expected to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abubakar Alkali on Friday announced his eventual withdrawal from the presidential contest, saying Buhari remain the best person to lead the nation post 2019.



Dr. Alkali who announced his withdrawal at a news conference in Abuja also cited the huge cost of the Presidential nomination form as one of his reasons, adding however that he will not allow his dream for the country to die.

While endorsing President Buhari, he said since the party has decided to give the presidential ticket to the President, he has no option, as a loyal party man than to abide by the party decision.

He called on his supporters to join hands with the current administration to continue in its job of delivering on democracy dividends to Nigerians, while also asking the leadership of APC do something about the cost of nomination forms, saying such has deprived so many young aspirants with good ideal which would have better the nation.

He said: “The purpose of this press conference is that i am here to announce my withrawal from the contest for the office of the president and the reasons for the withdrawal are not far fetched.

“Majorly, one of the reasons is that the APC has picked president Muhammadu Buhari has its sole consensus candidate for the 2019 general election, and as a loyal party member, I have to go by the rule and dictate of the party and that is the why I am aligning fully and totally with the position of our great party, and I fully support the decision to pick Mr. President as a consensus candidate of our great party.”

Speaking on the N45m cost of APC presidential nomination form, Alkali said that he and many others who had intended to contest the election could not afford the cost.

“I also want to use this opportunity to say my mind regarding the cost of the nomination form which I will say its outrageous, which I believe will also say it is the reason I withdrew.

“I think the cost of the form is outrageous and also do not depicts the ethics of our democracy. Actually, the cost of this form to me broke sincere and genuine aspirants from aspiring for the office and are not in tandem with the maxim of the NotTooYoungToRun movement, and a lot of the youths who have sincere concern for this country can not afford this outrageous cost. I appeal to our party, going forward to look at this issue very seriously.”