9 presidential runners you probably didn’t know

The media hysteria about Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), respectively, is such that the average Nigerian could be misled into summing up the February 14, 2015 election as a duel.

But this is not a in any way a two-way PDP-APC race.

There are, in fact, nine other Nigerians who are hoping to become president of the country in May 2015. They may not hold public attention in the same manner as the two front-runners, but ask them where they see themselves in another six months, and they would say nothing but Aso Rock.

These nine other Nigerians are:

OLUREMI SONAIYA (KOWA)

Oluremi Sonaiya, a professor of French and applied linguistics, is the only female running for the presidency.

She is running on the platform of Kowa Party.

The 59-year-old is the first Nigerian to be appointed as Ambassador Scientist of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, a position she occupied from 2008 to 2014.

Until it stopped publishing, Sonaiya was a blogger for 234 Next. She is currently a columnist with The Niche, a weekly (Sunday) newspaper.

A devout Christian, she believes “frankly” that an ordinary person like her is needed to run the affairs of the nation as a true representative of the people.

“I am running based on the strong conviction that somebody needed to do this – I mean somebody ordinary, a true representative of the people,” she revealed in her mission statement.

CHEKWAS OKORIE (UPP)

Chekwas Okorie is the pioneer national chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP), which he co-founded after his departure from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), one other party he co-founded.

An influential chief in Abia state, Okorie was a bosom friend of late Biafra leader Odimegwu Ojukwu, and is expected to have the support of many lovers of the late lieutenant colonel.

TUNDE ANIFOWOSE-KELANI (AA)

Tunde Anifowose-Kelani is currently the managing director and chairman of Siegener Sabithos Nigeria Limited, a provider of secretarial services, communication services, support, training, counselling and courier services in and outside the country.

Anifowose-Kelani, who holds a bachelor degree in personnel psychology and counselling, and another Master’s in personnel psychology, was chairman of his party, Action Alliance.

He would be representing the party at the 2015 presidential poll.

GANIYU GALADIMA (ACPN)

Ganiyu Galadima, the national chairman of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), was ratified as the party’s presidential acndidate by the party’s delegates at a convention held in Abuja earlier in the month.

Galadima is a muslim who believes “strongly in the need to end impunity in Nigeria”.

Galadima’s ACNP once moved for the prosecution of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), who the party believed has been canvassing votes for Jonathan all along, against the dictates of the electoral law.

RAFIU SALAU (AD)

Rafiu Salau is the national secretary of the Alliance for Democracy. He believes that he is “the best candidate” for the 2015 presidential election.

“I’m the best candidate because I know the feelings of the people better than any presidential candidate. I am also better than President Goodluck Jonathan,” he said.

“I know the solutions to the nation’s problems. I know the type of economy Nigeria needs to survive and succeed. I know how to make our nation be the first in Africa.

“To expand the economy, 30 per cent of the oil revenue shall be used for capital goods for development of businesses that will ensure economic growth.

“The population of unemployed Nigerians is more than many developed countries. To solve the problem of unemployment in Nigeria, every state shall have industrial city. And a state shall be created for the unemployed Nigerians. Developing the economy of the state will create jobs for them.”

He also believes that driving the economy to a world-class standard requires 50 per cent of revenue generation from personal income tax.

GODSON OKOYE (UDP)

Godson Okoye is a lawyer who contested the Anambra gubernatorial election in 2010 and came fourth despite running on the platform of a nascent political party, United Democratic Party (UDP).

He re-contested in 2013 and performed poorly, polling just 153 votes to come out as the aspirant with the least number of votes.

He is one of those who believe in a power shift to the younger generation of Nigerians.

He would be running on the same platform through which he contested the 2007 and 2011 elections. He “believes strongly in change in all key sectors in Nigeria”.

MARTIN ONOVO (NCP)

Martin Onovo is an engineer by training. He graduated from the University of Ibadan and the University of Houston.

In 2011, he contested for the presidency under the platform of Action Alliance (AA). However, this time, he is running on the ticket of the late Gani Fawehinmi’s National Conscience Party (NCP).

His belief is that the opposition (APC) is nothing but the same as the ruling PDP, and that he is the right man to solve the myriads of problem facing the country and collective commonweal.

Onovo is member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Little is known of Ambrose Albert, candidate of Hope Democratic Party (HDP) and Nani Ibrahim Ahmad, who will be running on the ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).