Buhari, 78 Others To Vie For Presidency In 2019
Other prominent presidential candidates include one-time Cross Rivers State governor Donald Duke, former Central Bank of Nigeria deputy governor Kingsley Moghalu, popular public speaker Fela Durotoye, and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore.
Mahmood disclosed that aside from the 79 presidential candidates, 89 parties fielded 1,803 candidates for the 109 senatorial seats and 4,548 for the 350 federal constituencies.
The chairman promised to make available a breakdown of the different candidates and the parties they represent.
Although Nigeria currently has 91 registered political parties, not all have fielded presidential candidates.
Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), hopes to retain power after the election, while major opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that governed the country from 1999 to 2015 is aiming at a return to power
The less popular parties hope to challenge the political status quo of both APC and PDP which consists of members who were once part of the other, having cross-carpeted from one to another.
Campaign for the elections start in November, according to INEC.