Chekwas Okorie, the National Chairman of the United Progressive Party, said the party would present its presidential candidate and his running mate during its forthcoming convention scheduled to hold on December 11.
Okorie told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja that the convention would hold in Aba, Abia State.
He said the party, which had zoned its presidential candidate to the South East, would be able to stop the marginalisation of the Igbo from presidential elections in Nigeria.
“The South East had been marginalised in the contest for presidential race in Nigeria. We have been shut down for too long,” he said.
According to him, the party has 25 per cent of traditional votes in every state of the federation, to reach every Igbo community without necessarily conducting rallies.
Okorie said: “We have 25 per cent traditional vote in every state of the federation.
“We do not require any rally.
“We have the support of our people home and abroad.
“The excitement of our people is very high that a presidential candidate is coming from the South East.
“We have also canvassed this in Nigeria, United States and Europe.”
Okorie dismissed insinuation that the party was in alliance with the All Progressives Congress.
He said his visit to the office of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State after a town hall meeting organised on November 23 by the party for all Igbo people in Lagos State, emanated the rumour of the UPP wanting to merge with APC.
He said the news of the merger had given so much concern to the supporters at home and abroad.
Okorie said: “The UPP organised a town hall meeting for the Igbo communities in Lagos to make its intention known that the party’s presidential candidate has been zoned to the South East and we need their support.
“After the meeting, I made it known to my people that I will pay the governor homage the next day.
“And the visit was well covered by both the local and international media outfits in the State House.
“I was surprised to hear that I visited the governor because the party wants to merge with APC, while other media outfits wrote exactly what I discussed with him.
“If at all we want to merge with APC, we know what to do.
“Such as going through the electoral commission at least 90 days before the general election, but that is far fetched from our vision.”