Atiku’s CUPP endorsement an affront to the spirit of alliance, NCP kicks

The National Conscience Party (NCP) says Wednesday’s endorsement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) as consensus candidate for 2019 election was an affront to the spirit of the alliance.

NCP National Publicity Secretary and member, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) Media/Publicity Committee, Dr Emmanuel Okereke disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that CUPP), had on Wednesday announced that it endorsed Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as consensus candidate for the election.

But, Okereke said the purported endorsement is an affront to the spirit and vision of CUPP.

He noted that the NCP entered into alliance with some political parties with the aim of producing consensus presidential candidate that would be financially and structurally supported by CUPP.

“The NCP National Executive Committee and National Coordinating Council unanimous resolve to fully go into alliance with the CUPP) for credence.

“Disappointedly today in CUPP, same poor Nigerian masses we all came together to rescue are alarmed as just few elements against the letter and spirit of CUPP purportedly adopted the PDP’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar as a consensus candidate for the February 2019 presidential election.

“This is a rape to the ethos of political alliance viz social re-engineering; an affront not only to the NCP which gave the alliance credence but also to CUPP, therefore must be unfalteringly resisted.

“NCP dissociates itself from this macabre dance of shame,” he said.

Okereke, also frowned at the CUPP steering committee chairman, Mr Olagunsoye Oyinlola for not following the guidelines for selecting a consensus candidate.

He said the Oyinlola’s committee invited all political parties in the coalition to forward intelligent memoranda.

“The same persons changed the goal post now, right in the middle of the match, no, and never, this is unacceptable!

“NCP resists this shenanigan in totality, hence CUPP initial procedures for this exercise is not only dubiously jettisoned but clandestinely emasculated,”he said.

NAN reports that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had also on Thursday distanced itself from the endorsement.

SDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Mohammed Alfa who disclosed this said the party already had a candidate, Mr Donald Duke whose name was submitted to INEC as its presidential candidate for the 2019 election.