By Ismail Auwal
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has claimed that he is offering “a golden opportunity” to the flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, to be his running mate.
Kwankwaso spoke on Saturday with journalists after inaugurating the state office of the NNPP in Gombe state, and added that the South-east will miss a golden opportunity if the LP candidate is not his running mate in 2023.
The former governor of Kano State hinted that the main issue in their ongoing discussion with the Labour Party is the contention of who should become the president if the parties merged.
“At the end of the day, some of our representatives thought that there should be a criteria in terms of age, qualification, offices held, performance and so on,” the NNPP candidate said.
“Of course the other side wouldn’t want that. Most of the people from there believe that the presidency has to go there (Southeast). If I decide to be a vice presidential candidate for anybody in this country; NNPP will collapse, because the party is based on what we have built in the last 30 years.”
“I served for 17 years as a civil servant; we are talking of 47 years of very serious hard work that is what is rarely holding NNPP now.
“Even if my friend (Peter Obi) wants to accept the vice presidential candidate, some people in the south-east will not accept, that is not strategic.
“This is a golden opportunity, if they lose it, it will be a disaster.”
