TWENTY political parties yesterday in Kano unanimously endorsed the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) presidential flag bearer, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, as their sole candidate for the April presidential election.

The parties adopted Shekarau at the end of an emergency meeting held at the Government House, Kano, which lasted for two and a half hours.

The parties include Action Alliance (AA), Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN), Mass Movement Party of Nigeria (MMPN), African Political System (APS), All Congress of Democrats (ACD), Change Advocacy Movement Party (CAMP), Better Nigeria Peoples Party (BNPP), National Majority Democratic Party (NMDP), and Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ).

Others are: the National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP), Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Accord Party (AP), Justice Party (JP), Democratic Alternative (DA), Kowa Party of Nigeria (KPN) and four others.

Spokesmen for the parties, Dr. Ogbushi Lawrence Atuama, who is also the National Chairman of the National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP), said they decided to support Shekarau because he is a detribalised politician.

After x-raying Shekarau’s personality, political antecedents and ability, Atuama said the parties agreed to support him to enable him emerge victorious at the polls.

They then called on all Nigerians of voting age, irrespective of religious, political or tribal leanings, to fully support Shekarau, who for eight years as governor kept Kano State stable and made it a place for every Nigerian to earn a living.

They called on the electorate to vote Shekarau in as president of Nigeria, so as to end the pervasive official sleaze, which, according to them, has ravaged the country for the past 50 years.