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LOME, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Togo's main opposition party, the United Forces for Change (UFC), is calling for a unique candidate in the Feb. 28 presidential elections against the ruling party.

Jean Pierre Fabre, the candidate of the UFC, made the call at a meeting held in the capital Lome on Sunday, asking his opposition "friends" to find a "single candidate" to battle it out with out- running President Faure Gnassingbe, Savoir News Agence reported.

"With a one-round mode of election which is being used, we must come up with one candidate from the opposition who will fight it out with the RPT (the ruling Assembly of Togolese People)," Fabre told UFC supporters.

Several officials of the party were present at the meeting, including Me Isabelle Ameganvi, a member of parliament.

"We have to unite in order to defeat RPT," said the secretary general of the UFC.

He said he understood how difficult it was for the opposition to sit down and discuss about the candidacy they are going to present.

"I acknowledge that there are some difficulties. I pray to God that He help us to find this single candidate," Fabre said.

The opposition has tried for months to come up with "a single candidate" to field in the presidential elections. Some sources close to the main political parties even announced that there was some "white smoke" coming out over the weekend, but there's no name made known ever since.

The UFC secretary general also sang praises before the party's activists and supporters.

"The UFC candidate is ready to take over the office of the country's presidency. He is ready to tackle all the challenges facing the country to help her get out of the situation she finds herself in," he affirmed.

Fabre congratulated officials of the party for having overcome all the challenges they faced after the accident of the party's national president Gilchrist Olympio.

Olympio, who had been the designated candidate for the party, failed to make his appearance citing the health reason of "an ailing back."

With only weeks ahead of the polls, authorities have confirmed seven candidates, who also include a woman, Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson, who represents another opposition party the Democratic Convention of the African People. This is the first time that a woman is chosen to contest in a presidential vote in the West African country.