The United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) was a Nigerian political party. It was one of the five state-sanctioned political parties allowed by the government of General

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...

to participate in state assembly elections held in December 1997, in which it won many elections, and in parliamentary elections held in April 1998. Considered by its opposition to be the army’s proxy, it dominated the Abacha transition programme.

History

The UNCP was an amalgamation of three political parties, the United Nigeria Congress (UNC) led by

Ibrahim Gusau Ibrahim Gusau is a Nigerian politician and former minister for Agriculture and Industries. Early life and education Gusau was born on 25th January 1945 in Sokoto, Sokoto State. Ibrahim Gusau started his elementary education at the Gusua Elementa ...

, Attahiru Bafarawa, and Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, United Nigeria Party (UNP) led by Bode Olajumoke, Kashim Imam, Babs Akerele and Empire Kanu and the Solidarity Group of Nigeria (SGN) led by Umaru Dikko. Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau former Minister in the Second Republic was its pro tem National Chairman. In its first convention at Owerri, Ambassador Isa Aliyu Mohammed Argungu was elected as its first National Chairman. The party included politicians such as Atiku Abubakar,

Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila (21 March 1946 – 11 January 2003) was a Nigerian politician and administrator. One of the first administrators to inherit the post first republican administrative structure instituted by the military, served the Local Edu ...

Suleiman Takuma Alhaji Suleiman Takuma (14 April 1934 – 4 September 2001) was a Nigerian Journalist, civil servant, politician, and businessman. He served as the National Secretary of the now defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN)"NPN to run Government a ...

Ibrahim Saminu Turaki Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki (born 14 July 1963) is a Nigerian actuary and politician. He served as the executive governor of Jigawa State from 1999 to 2007. Prior to that, he was the Jigawa state chairman of the defunct Social Democratic P ...

Attahiru Bafarawa Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa (born 4 November 1954) is a Nigerian politician who was the executive governor of Sokoto State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. Early career He was a local government councillor in charge of Education ...

, Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya,

Adeleke Mamora Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora (born 16 February 1953) is a Nigerian politician, who is currently the Minister of Science and Technology, he previously served has Minister of State of Health of Nigeria. He was elected Senator for the Lagos East con ...

Funsho Williams Anthony Olufunsho Williams (9 May 1948 – 27 July 2006) was an influential politician from Lagos State and former Commissioner under Colonel Olagunsoye Oyinlola's Military Administration in Lagos. Early life Funsho Williams attended the St. Pa ...

, Mohammed Daggash,

Adamu Aliero Muhammad Adamu Aliero (born 1 January 1957) was governor of Kebbi State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). He became Senator for Kebbi Central from June 5, 2007 till December 18, 20 ...

Anyim Pius Anyim Anyim Pius Anyim (born 19 February 1961) is a Nigerian politician who served as president of the Nigerian Senate from 2000 to 2003, he was Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) during Goodluck Jonathan presidency. He was elected a ...

Nnenadi Usman Nenadi Esther Usman (born 12 November 1966) is a Nigerians, Nigerian politician from Kagoro in Kaduna State, Nigeria. She was elected senator for Kaduna South in the April 2011 elections, running on the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria), People' ...

Kashim Ibrahim-Imam Kashim Ibrahim-Imam was born 8 May 1962, he is a Nigerian politician who was twice the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Governor of Borno State in 2003 and 2007, losing both times to the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate Ali ...

Ibrahim Kura Mohammed Ibrahim Kura Mohammed was elected Senator for the Kano Central constituency of Kano State, Nigeria at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic, running on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He took office on 29 May 1999. Kura Mohamm ...

, Ibrahim Mantu,

Emeka Ojukwu Chukwuemeka "Emeka" Odumegwu Ojukwu (4 November 1933 – 26 November 2011) was a Nigerian military officer, statesman and politician who served as the military governor of the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1966 and the president of the sec ...

Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu (born September 4, 1942) is a Nigerian politician and businessman, considered one of the richest men in Nigeria. Biography Iwuanyanwu was born on September 4, 1942 in Atta, Ikeduru local government area of Imo St ...

Abubakar Koko Alhaji Abubakar Garba Koko, , Sarkin Yakin Gwandu, (1937 – 26 December 2003), was a Nigerian civil servant, Administrator, and Politician who served as the first Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja. ...

, Joe Garba, Bode Olajumoke,

Bello Matawalle Bello Muhammad (born 12 February 1962), known as Bello Matawalle, is a Nigerian politician and teacher who has served as the Governor of Zamfara State since 2019. After briefly serving in the Abacha-era state house of assembly and serving as a st ...

and

Ali Modu Sheriff Ali Modu Sheriff (born 1956) is a Nigerian politician. He is Borno State's first governor to serve two consecutive terms (2003–2011). Though Sheriff had held two elected offices as a member of All Nigeria People's Party, he would later join t ...

. It was a left centrist party, with a broader base and acceptance than the left-wing

Grassroots Democratic Movement The Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) was a Nigerian political party that was one of the five state-sanctioned political parties allowed by the government of General Sani Abacha to participate in state assembly elections held in December 1997, a ...

(GDM) headed by Alhaji

Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu Alhaji Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu also known as MD Yusufu or MD Yusuf (November 10, 1931 – April 1, 2015) was a Nigerian policeman, Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force, public servant and politician. Yusufu attended Higher Education at the ...

. The other authorized parties were the Congress for National Consensus (CNC), Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) and the

National Centre Party of Nigeria National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(NCPN). The UNCP was the largest of these political parties, and one of four (out of five) to support Abacha standing as a presidential candidate. When General Abdulsalami Abubakar succeeded Sani Abacha after the latter's death in June 1998, he dissolved the five parties and announced that democratic elections would be held during the first quarter of 1999. He proposed the free formation of political parties, an independent judiciary, international electoral monitors.

References

{{reflist Defunct political parties in Nigeria 1990s establishments in Nigeria 1998 disestablishments in Nigeria