Kwankwaso Moves to Pick NNPP’s Presidential Ticket

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said that he would formally make his next political ambition known early next week.

Addressing journalists at his residence in Abuja yesterday, Kwankwaso said “Nigerians are angry over the current state of affairs in the country and are seriously seeking a change in the manner things are done.”

He said having concluded consultations on his future political ambition, he would formally declare his bid for Presidency early next week.

“I have been consulting widely with friends and Nigerians of diverse interests and the outcome has been positive. I will be informing Nigerians of my political ambition sometime early next week,” he said.

Kwankwaso said he had realised that the members were all strange bed fellows whose ideologies have no similarity. 

Kwankwaso said his new party, the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) has a philosophy and ideology which he can identify with. 

He said that with NNPP, Nigerians can heave a sigh of relief from the badly managed economy and security situation in the country.

The politician said that the support for NNPP had been very overwhelming with the kind of response witnessed during the recently concluded membership registration drive.

According to him, Nigerians desire a real change from what is in place now, adding that the 2023 general election will be between those who desire change in the affairs of the country and those who want to retain the status quo.  

“The 2023 election will be between those who are happy with what has happened and those who want change. We are not happy or satisfied with what is happening and we want to change it. The system is not working and everyone knows it,” he said.

Regarding the state of affairs in the country, especially Insecurity, Kwankwaso criticized the APC-led federal government, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari had not shown enough commitment and courage towards strengthening the capacity of the security agencies to be able to subdue the criminal elements tormenting the country.

“How did we get here? The government should be more serious about security. As a former Minister of Defence, I never thought insecurity will ever be this low in this country within this short period of time. How did we find ourselves in this mess? What actually happened?

“’Our issues in this country have to do with the leadership. When the political leadership is not strong enough to motivate the military, and ensure they are taken care of in terms of training and retraining as well as provision of equipment, arms and ammunition to match the bandits.

“Nobody is talking about rescuing people and the killings and abductions continue to happen again. So, I believe the government has to do more. We are so worried, and I believe security is one of the areas we will handle with utmost competence so Nigerians can be free again to pursue their daily businesses. We want the military and other law enforcement agencies to tackle insecurity,” he said.