Former Kano State governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has stated that if Peter Obi had joined the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) rather than the Labour Party, he would have been his 2023 running mate. ayokinews.com reports
Peter Obi, a former Anambra State governor, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the Labour Party, was announced as the party’s presidential candidate yesterday, Monday, May 30, 2022.
Despite being the only aspirant who got the NNPP forms, Kwankwaso, announced that the party will hold its presidential primary next week.
Speaking on Channels TV Politics Today on Monday, the former Kano governor said the NNPP will look for a popular vice-presidential candidate from the South following its national convention.
“Actually we had opportunities to talk to ourselves on many national issues, until few days to the time when he declared for the Labour Party,” he said about Obi.
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“He is now the presidential candidate. I wish him well and I wish all other presidential candidates well. I’m sure all these would be decide by the electorate across the country who are going to vote on the 25th of February, 2023.”
When asked whether he had thoughts of Peter Obi being his running mate, Kwankwaso said, “Yes, many people suggested that. I believe it could have been possible if not because he joined another party. Now, he is a (presidential) candidate as we have seen from the news just now. We look forwards to seeing what happens in the next few days or weeks.”
Also asked about picking a running mate from the South-East, the ex-governor said, “We are not there yet. After the convention (of the NNPP), then the party would sit down and look around and see if we can have a very good, credible somebody who is acceptable, somebody who can bring as many people as possible to come and vote for our party as the Vice-President of the NNPC from the Southern part of the country.”
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