Kwankwaso Accuses Northern Group of Being Sponsored to Endorse Particular Presidential Candidate

John Shiklam in Kaduna

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has accused the Joint Northern Committee of being sponsored to endorse a particular presidential candidate.

The Joint Northern Committee, comprising the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation (ABF), Arewa Research and Development Project and Jamiyyar Matan Arewa, has organised an interactive session with some presidential candidates.

The programme, which started last Saturday was attended by Atiku Abubakar, e of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Kola Abiola of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Prince Adewale Adeboye of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Also, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and the NNPP candidate are expected to be in Kaduna on Monday for the event.

However, in a letter addressed to organisers, the NNPP said besides the fact that the date given was not convenient, it had credible information that some people had been compromised.

The letter dated October 14, 2022, and signed by Abdulmumini Kofa, spokesman of the NNPP Presidential Campaign, said its technical team was still putting final touches on its blueprint, “and as such, we will be unable to present to you the final policy proposals that will guide our candidate’s presidency when eventually he is elected the president of Nigeria.”

It promised to ensure that the blueprint is presented to the public by the candidate and shall make copies available to the group.

The letter said: “Adding to the above, we have credible information in our possession that shows that some people have been compromised, and these people have concluded plans to turn the event into an endorsement platform for a particular candidate.

“We believe that it is very wrong for any group to clandestinely plan to endorse any candidate in the name of the North, especially when we have more than one candidate from our region.

“We are, therefore, advising you not to do anything that will ridicule the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello and other famous northern leaders like of Sir Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, and JS Tarka among others by attempting to endorse an unpopular candidate at the expense of a more competent, more experienced and more credible one.

“We note that the earlier date was even postponed and a new date was fixed to coincide with the date of the rally of one of the presidential candidate in Kaduna.

“This further gives credence to the information in our possession that the event is being financed by that candidate.

“In the circumstance, and based on the above observations, our candidate will be unable to honour your invitation.

“Finally, we wish to advise the organisers of this event to avoid endorsing any candidate in the name of the North, as such action will only result in further polarising than uniting the North.”

However, while reacting, the Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Murtala Aliyu, said the allegations are baseless, and challenged anybody to produce evidence.

Aliyu, who is the chairman of the steering committee of the programme,

said the interactive session was not aimed at endorsing any presidential candidate