The National Democratic Party has declared that former dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, would contest the 2007 presidential election on its platform.

Babangida had withdrawn from the presidential race after collecting the nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party.

But the Acting National Chairman of the NDP, Mr. Kazeem Afegbua, said at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday said Babangida remained its prefeffered candidate.

He said the incumbent flagbearer of the party, Alhaji Aliyu Habu Fari, and his running mate, Mr. Joni Icheka, were only holding forth for Babangida.

Afegbua said the former military president would make his presidential declaration on the platform of the NDP before the close nomination on February 13, 2007.

Parties still have up to that date to substitute their candidates for the 2007 elections before the Independent Electoral Commission.

The NDP had since February 2005 adopted Babangida as its preferred presidential candidate but the former head of state was yet to make a public statement to that effect.

Also at the conference, the Deputy National Chairman, South, of the party, Mr. Chudi Chukwuani, announced the appointment of Afegbua as the acting national chairman following the election of Habu Fari as presidential candidate of the party.