THE Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) have agreed to form a coalition ahead of the 2019 general election and will in the coming days announce who will be their coalition presidential candidate between their respective candidates, Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Durotoye.

This was contained in a joint press statement signed by the national presidents of the two parties − Bishop Amakiri for the YPP and Emmanuel Dania for the ANN.

The development is coming a few days after the presidential aspirant of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Obiageli Ezekwesili, pulled out of the race. Ezekwesili said she would focus on working for the emergence of a coalition candidate strong enough to defeat the two dominant political parties in the country, namely the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the statement which was issued on Saturday, the development is as a result of the parties’ understanding radical change which Nigeria is in dire need of “cannot happen by wishful thinking but through conscious efforts by selfless Nigerians to disrupt the system in order to end the combined 19 years of inept leadership of the PDP and APC”.

“It is in a bid to end the aforementioned trend and change the current narrative that the joint leadership of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) after painstaking deliberation, decided in the interest of the nation to forge a formidable coalition known as “the Force” in order to help salvage our great country from those who have held it hostage for far too long.

“The Force is expected to be a political point of convergence for all those who truly desire to take back Nigeria from the establishment and birth A NEW NIGERIA.

“While we understand the enormity of the task ahead considering that our failed leaders will not let go without a fight, our conviction is however anchored on the strength of the over 88 million Nigerians living below the poverty mark of $1.90 per day to decide the fate of our oppressors through their votes.

“Furthermore, the Force will in the coming days present a consensus candidate in the February 16, 2019, Presidential election as a mark of our collective resolve to give Nigerians a credible alternative away from the past when Nigerians are faced with the dilemma of choosing between two undesirables.”

Recall that an attempt by some of the young presidential candidates to form a coalition in the past had failed following the refusal of some of them to accept the emergence of Durotoye as the consensus candidate.

However, following Ezekwesili’s withdrawal from the presidential race, Durotoye reiterated that he is open to form a coalition with Moghalu and Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), provided that the process was transparent.

The presidential election will hold on February 16, 2019.