Almost 40 Nigerian opposition parties have agreed to field a joint candidate to prevent the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari next year.
The alliance includes the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and a splinter group known as the Reformed-All Progressives Congress (R-APC) that broke away from Mr. Buhari’s governing All Progressives Congress (APC) last week.
“The parties agreed to ensure the emergence of a joint presidential candidate,” said the memorandum, which was read out by Tom Ikimi of the PDP.
“The leadership of the parties are hereby committed to work together in a Coalition of United Political Party (CUPP),” it said, adding that the modalities of the new alliance still had to be agreed.
The alliance could pose a major threat to Buhari’s re-election bid as the rifts within his APC threaten to split support for the president within Nigeria’s powerful patronage networks and among voters ahead of 2019 election.
Buhari announced in April that he would seek another term. His candidacy depends on party approval, though that is usually seen as a formality for the incumbent.
Political parties in Nigeria must select their candidates for the election between Aug. 18 and Oct. 7.
