Lead Your Campaigns Or Quit, CUPP Tells Buhari

The Coalition of United Political Parties has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to outsource his campaign to the All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu, if he is fit for the nation’ s top job .

The CUPP also accused the All Progressives Congress of plotting to rig the 2019 elections and plunge the nation into an avoidable crisis.

Addressing journalists at a news conference in Abuja on Friday, the CUPP Chairman , Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola , said Buhari would go down in history as the first President to hire a proxy in a presidential contest .

The CUPP which consisted over 46 political parties , said Buhari must debate against its presidential candidate and account for his stewardship to Nigerians .

Oyinlola said , “ President Buhari has, indeed , said Senator Bola Tinubu would do the campaigns on his behalf. We hope he was misquoted, otherwise , Nigerians should simply ask him to step back from the contest and let his party put Tinubu forward as its candidate .

“ Buhari would go down as the first candidate in history to hire a proxy in a presidential contest . He is the one contesting, he should not be afraid to be the one to interface directly with Nigerians . ”

He added , “ We urge Nigerian people to insist that President Buhari must show that he is fit and able for the nation ’ s top job by leading his own campaign and by being at the presidential candidates ’ debate. ”

The CUPP chairman stated that the refusal of the President to sign the Electoral Act Amendment bill into law was part of plans to manipulate the polls .

He pointed out that the amendments were made in order to have better legal frameworks for delivery of free and fair elections , in accordance with Article 6 of the ECOWAS Protocol which states that “ The preparation and conduct of elections and the announcement of results shall be done in a transparent manner . ”