The Political Parties

Nigeria has several influential political parties.  The All People’s Party (APP) led by Alhaji Yusuf ALI, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) with contested leadership, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Barnabas Gemade.

The parties draw their constituency from ethical and regional basis that coincide.  The PDP is the biggest party – comprised of politicians and retired generals.  The PDP won a clear lead in local elections in December, prompting the other two parties - the Alliance for Democracy and All People's Party - into forming an electoral pact.  This party is considered centrist.

The Alliance for Democracy draws its support from an ethnic bias, the Yoruba people in the southwest of the country, and is progressive.  This party has a strong ideological foundation that called for an end to military rule as pinion of its platform. The party came third in December's local elections, but swept the board in the southwest in both the local and state elections. 

The All People’s Party is conservative, it “is Nigeria's second largest, made up of wealthy business people and politicians, many of whom backed General Abacha and had helped campaign for his self-succession. It won about one quarter of seats in local elections. The success of the People's Democratic Party in December's local elections forced the All People's Party into an unlikely electoral alliance with the Alliance for Democracy. Although the two parties have little in common, they have agreed to field a joint presidential candidate, Olu Falae” who inevitably lost.