These major presidential aspirants are: Rtd. Major-general Muhammadu Buhari, a former military President, rtd. General Ibrahim Babangida, also a former military President, Mr. Abubakar Atiku, a former Vice-president, Mr. Ibrahim Shekarau, governor of Kano state and the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
These aspirants, with the exception of President Jonathan, chidi opara reports learnt from contacts inside their campaign organizations are hinging their hopes on the conduct of free and fair elections, which they hope would see their political parties winning substantial seats in the National Assembly. This development, they hope, would mean that the President whom they know would use the advantage of incumbency to clinch his party’s nomination and proceed to win the election, would have no option than to form a coalition government.
Buhari would contest on the platform of the nascent Committee of Peoples' Congress(CPC), Shekarau would likely contest on the platform of All Nigeria Peoples' Party(ANPP), while Atiku and Babangida, though presently members of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), are reported to be planning to seek their electoral fortunes somewhere else. Babangida is likely heading to National Democratic Party(NDP). It is not yet known where Atiku would pitch his tent.
What is known from an investigation carried out by chidi opara reports is that these aspirants are aware that even if the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner, the President would still win, considering the incumbency factor in the country, and so, according to an NDP insider, "if we can produce a good number of National Assembly members, the President will look for us".
The President's party would need a comfortable majority in the National Assembly for the President to have a stable tenure. This comfortable majority our checks have revealed would be unlikely in 2011 if the elections are free and fair.
