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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), yesterday insisted that the only basis for any alliance with the Labour Party would be for the presidential candidate of the party, Mr. Peter Obi, to accept contesting in the 2023 election as the running mate to its presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Speaking in confidence to Sunday Sun in Kano, the party chieftain argued that on the basis of comparative democratic indices, Kwankwaso stood ahead of Obi.
He explaining the reasons for his position, he said: “Obi is from the South East and PDP, not the Labour Party, is very strong there. His return in terms of votes, even from the South East would be insignificant, compared to Kwankwaso, who is from the North West and NNPP is one of the strongest parties in Kano, Jigawa, Kastina and Kaduna states.”
He added that when it comes to voting power, Kano alone can turn in the votes of almost two-thirds of the South East region, adding that at the rate the NNPP is waxing strong in Kano State, Kwankwaso would certainly take a lion share of the votes from Kano, ahead of Atiku, a fellow northerner and Tinubu, a southern Muslim.
While the Labour Party has no particular hold on any known region or political officer in the current dispensation, the official claimed that the NNPP has gubernatorial candidates in 22 states, at least three serving senators, a number of House of Representatives members as well as state assembly members who have already decamped or have indicated interest to renounce their current party.
He added that Senator Kwankwaso does not believe in a Muslim–Muslim ticket as being pursued by some parties given his love for the unity and oneness of Nigeria, but added that it would be gravely unfair for Peter Obi and his party to expect Senator Kwankwaso to be the vice presidential candidate despite the facts of how they stand politically.
He stressed Senator Kwankwaso would never step down for Peter Obi in the present dispensation while counselling Obi, his supporters and the people of the South East to accept the offer of the vice presidential slot of the NNPP as it remained their best bargain in current dispensation.
