The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) says Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, its presidential candidate, will not step down for either Atiku Abubakar or Bola Tinubu.
Atiku and Tinubu are the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), respectively.
Rufai Alkali, the NNPP national chairman, described media reports saying Kwankwaso would step down for either Atiku or Tinubu as false.
According to Alkali, Kwankwaso is in the 2023 race to win.
“It is completely false.” We are not surprised at all that this story is coming out this way at this time. “All discerning Nigerians have been following the pattern,” Alkali said.
“They first said our candidate was going to step down for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. When we debunked it, they said the NNPP had surrendered to the Labour Party and Peter Obi. When we explained the circumstances, they kept quiet.
“Next, there was an attempt by our elders at the Arewa Consultative Forum dialogue for presidential candidates to present their manifestos.” We agreed with the organisers, but we realised that there were forces working to undermine the process by using the platform to endorse a northern candidate. ”When Kwankwaso did not appear, that project collapsed.”
The spokesperson of the party, Major Agbo, says Atiku should rather step down for Kwankwaso.
“How can anybody come out to say Kwankwaso should step down for Atiku?” “No, it is Atiku that should step down,” he declared.
