? Predicts tough elections

Ahead of the 2027 election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People?s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, says he is ready to work with Peter Obi and other members of the opposition to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kwankwaso, also known as the strong man of Kano politics, made the declaration in an interview granted the BBC Hausa Service, where he declared that the 2027 election ?will be a tough one.?

The former minister of defence and ex-governor of Kano State, however, did not rule out the possibility of working with the ruling APC.

Kwankwaso is rumoured to be in strong contention for the position of vice president for incumbent President Bola Tinubu in 2027, following speculations that the president plans to drop Vice President Kashim Shettima.

It is not clear whether the discussion has been abandoned or not, but he emphasized that his party, the NNPP, is willing to work with any party that shares its ideals of prioritizing the welfare of the common man.

He noted that such alliance must come with strong benefits for members of the NNPP

According to him, ?If you are asking us to join APC, you must tell us what NNPP will gain.?

He disclosed that the party has gubernatorial candidates in all the states and full structures nationwide. ?What will you offer them if we join the party,? he asked.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing coalition plans, Kwankwaso said the NNPP will work with ?like minds? ahead of the 2027 election.

?We?re ready for anyone, whether it is the APC, PDP, ADC, Jonathan, or Peter Obi. If we are satisfied with their competence, we will join forces to achieve success. What we are looking for are competent leaders with integrity,? he noted.

Results of the 2023 presidential election showed that a total of 13,716m people voted in the North, while 9.020m voted in the South.

The NNPP presidential candidate got 1.454 million of the total votes in the North, but got a paltry 42,038 of votes in the South.

The NNPP however won the Kano State governorship election which has 44 local governments, the biggest in the country.

Speaking further about the coalition, he noted that ?the key thing is that whoever we ally with, be it the APC or another party, must be committed to the needs of Nigerians. If they fail to meet our expectations, we will not continue with them.?

On insecurity, Kwankwaso lamented the failure of Bola Tinubu?s administration to check the menace.

?What we are asking for is that the common people should benefit, that the masses should be free, the youth educated and security improved. Our people are being killed in Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, parts of Kaduna, and other states.

?The victims are ordinary citizens, because the elite have fled to Abuja, where they are living in luxury. Some of them, like members of the House of Representatives, senators and ministers, have no concern other than enriching themselves, buying big houses, and flaunting expensive cars. They are appointed to positions and act as if they are untouchable, but I am confident that Allah will judge them accordingly.?

Kwankwaso argued that the forthcoming general elections in 2027 would be fiercely contested and much tougher as, according to him, Nigerians are now more involved, concerned and better informed.

?I believe the 2027 elections will be much tougher. Unlike before, people are now more involved and more concerned. Everyone is looking for a way out because of the country?s situation. Thanks to radio and social media, the masses are now informed. Everyone is trying to secure a better future for themselves, their families and their loved ones.

?This time, nobody would come on election day asking for money to cast their votes. You may probably see new things unfold; things that have never happened before in Nigeria?s electoral history.? (BusinessDay, but headline rejigged)

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