NNPP Denies Kwankwaso’s Comments On Obi, S-East

• Insists issues taken out of context

BY EDMOND ODOK – Smarting from tantrums thrown at it by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other stakeholders, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has denied reports that its presidential candidate, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso described the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi and the South-East region as incapable of winning elections to produce Nigeria’s next president come 2023.

The NNPP described the report as “falsely credited” to Kwankwaso, insisting that the party flag bearer was quoted out of context by a section of the media.

According to the report, Kwankwaso, while inaugurating the Party’s Gombe State Executive last week, was quoted to have said that the South East (Igbo People) are good in business but at the bottom of politics in Nigeria.

Reacting to reports quoting Kwankwaso as saying that the South East (Igbo People) are good in business but at the bottom of politics in Nigeria, National Chairman of the NNPP, Professor Rufa’i Ahmed Alkali regretted that such attribution is generating “ill feelings in some political circles in Nigeria, especially between the South East and the NNPP.”

He said the NNPP, as a party desirous of changing the situation of the country, believes that no Nigerian of any geopolitical zone, tribe, ethnic nationality, or religious persuasion is least on the rung of the ladder in the whole effort to bring the desired change in the country.

According to Prof Alkali; “The NNPP wishes to categorically state that the statement of its Presidential Candidate, Senator Kwankwaso at the occasion was situated out of the contest, as the NNPP Presidential candidate has always emphasized that the Igbos were frontrunners in the fight for the nation’s struggle for independence, and had produced the first President of the country in the person of late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of the Senate, Dr. Nwafor Orizu, former Vice President, late Dr. Alex Ekwueme, four former presidents of the Senate from 1999 to date and other top political office holders.

“NNPP as a political party on the ballot in 2023 believes that it has what it takes like some other political parties to rejuvenate the present situation of the country and will not in any way disparage any zone or people of any political party.

“It is pertinent to state that the discussions with any political party or individual are an ongoing thing that would bring the desired change of a new Nigeria. However, the party or its Presidential candidate would not in any way malign any zone or any individual as we believe that NNPP desires the votes of all the zones and all electorate to govern Nigeria.”

Distancing itself from remarks capable of causing disaffection among Nigerians ahead of the 2023 general election, Prof Alkali said; “We want to state that NNPP will canvass votes from all geo-political zones to win the 2023 Presidential election and would not in any way consider any zone less as we have supporters and candidates all over the country”.