Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says he was initially interested in forming an alliance with the Labour Party, but the party was at the peak of its media hype and couldn’t accept his conditions.
“On Labour Party, I was initially interested in working with them, but at that time, they were at peak of the media hype and we couldn’t reach a compromise,” Kwankwaso said while speaking at the Chatham House, London on Wednesday.
“Our party (NNPP) is a National Party, and we’re commanding the support of the masses.”
The NNPP flagbearer said he is ready to step down his 2023 presidential ambition if he sees a better candidate contesting the 2023 presidential election.
Kwankwaso promised to revamp the economy and create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive and attract more foreign investment if elected.
He also vowed to deal with poverty and poor education in the north if elected.
He said, “I built over 500 classrooms while I was governor of Kano state, and when elected I will bring more people on board to tackle education needs in Nigeria.”
On insecurity, Kwankwaso recalled his time as Defense minister and Special adviser to the president of Somalia and promised to recruit more into the Nigeria armed forces.
Kwankwaso said he is aspiring to become the next president of Nigeria because “I understand the issues involved, the mistakes that were made, the wrong priorities that were set, and together with our team, we are better connected with the hopes and aspirations of the Nigerian citizens.”
He added that “we understand, agree with, and share grievances. And we have a practical plan to address each and every challenge bedevilling our country.”
The former Kano governor noted that the problem of Nigeria is not the big people, but that the country is its own problem.
He said, “Forget about the big people, who are actually the problem of our country…”
The presidential candidate of the NNPP further stated, “With supporters at the grassroots level, we are the only party today and we’ve succeededo, in Northern Nigeria today in terms of votes and support. Now we are working in the Southern part of the country.”