Xinhua
December 11,2014
LAGOS, Nigeria’s main opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) has chosen ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate to run for president next year against incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking a second term.
More than 7,000 delegates from the APC gathered in Lagos, the country’s biggest city and financial hub, to vote on which candidate would challenge the incumbent.
Buhari scored around 5,000 votes to beat former Vice President Atiku, Rabiu Kwankwaso, current Governor of Kano State, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, and Sam Nda-Isaiah, publisher of Leadership newspapers, and to secure the bid.
Incumbent President Jonathan was on Wednesday formally endorsed as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate at a convention in Abuja, with no other challengers.
The former military ruler will challenge Jonathan in a crucial election next year.
Nigeria’s presidential elections, to be held on February 14 next year, are expected to be the closest since 1999, with the APC looking to take power for the first time.