The Unity Party of Nigeria on Friday adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the February 14 election.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the adoption was announced at its first National Convention to elect new officers, which was held in Lagos.
NAN recalls that controversy had trailed the UPN leadership, but Dr Frederick Fasehun, who is the founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress, emerged the party’s National Chairman at the convention.
Speaking after the ratification of the new executive committee by members of the party from across the nation, Fasehun said the UPN was a new party and needed time to take roots in all parts of the country.
He said, “We are still a young party and that is why we are not fielding a presidential candidate.
“We have asked our members who we are to support. We felt their pulse and it was moving in a particular direction.
“Allowing President Jonathan to continue in office for another four-year term will allow for the maturation of his infrastructural and socio-economic programmes.
“It will also guarantee continuity in development policies which a new government may likely abort.
“We are not confused about those we know that do not deserve our votes and our precious support.
“Therefore, the UPN will support Jonathan in next month’s election. We have endorsed him as our candidate. The national convention hereby resolves that all UPN structures and members nationwide will work for Jonathan.”
He lamented that Nigerian politics had become peopled by politicians without ideals or ideology.
“That informs why a politician can be in the ruling party in one minute and suddenly cross-carpets to the opposition party in the next minute and no one would see anything wrong with it.
” We cannot afford to run the country this way and UPN has come to change the game,” he said.
According to him, the party will devote its energy to playing a people-driven politics, ignite the confidence of citizens and uphold the sanctity of the general elections.
NAN reports that Alhaji Yuusul Ariyo emerged as National Secretary; Mr Okey Nwanneri, National Treasurer and Niyi Ajewole as the National Legal Adviser among others.
Also, Mrs Modupe Onitiri-Abiola, the wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, was announced as the party’s governorship candidate for Lagos State. NAN
