Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the February 25, 2023 election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Sunday, declared that the 1999 Constitution (as Amended) was not the problem of Nigeria but the operators.
The former Kano State Governor also said at the ongoing series of Editors’ Forum organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Ikeja, Lagos, that he would defeat presidential candidates such as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi (Labour Party) and others.
Kwankwaso, a former Defence Minister, insisted that he would win at first ballot, contrary to the position touted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) last week.
He told Nigerians to wait for what would happen between now and January, 2023, insisting that voters are tired of the two main political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
They have both failed the nation, he declared.
Kwankwaso said many Nigerians are joining and supporting the NNPP “as demonstrated during our nationwide campaign tour”, adding “Nigerians are demanding for change and showing a lot of love and commitment to our ideals. Anybody who believes in earning a decent living is a member of Kwankwasiya” (the name of the Kwankwaso supporters).
The NNPP presidential candidate said every Nigerian is concerned about the worsening state of insecurity nationwide, adding that “everything is affected, including economy, agriculture and social lives of Nigerians, whether on the abandoned roads in Birnin-Gwari, or Sokoto or Katsina or the whole of the North-East.
“We believe there must security in order to make progress. This is why we would increase the number of the military and police personnel in terms of the global requirement of the number of population ratio to military and police personnel.
“The NNPP is gaining momentum because Nigerians are actually not talking of the parties, but the candidates, and APC and PDP have both failed Nigerians. Their presidential candidates are even running away from debates. We are ready for debates, because we know what we want to do and we are serious.
“Before the late Umaru Yar’Adua became president, we would have offered proper advice, because we knew a lot of things. But we were not consulted.
“No good thing can happen in the country without a good leader. Even restructuring cannot take us anywhere if we do not have a good leader. The problem is not the constitution, but the operators. This will be changed when we get to power in 2023. We left the PDP and APC for good. We are happy where we are and we shall be in power come next year”.
Kwankwaso, who specifically said the NNPP is open to restructuring as everything would be put on the table for Nigerians to choose, explained that he was one of those who supported the 13% derivation in the 1999 Constitution at the National Constitutional Conference.
“It is our project, there is no way anybody can say I am against it (derivation),” he stated.
On the prevalence of army of out-of-school children in Nigeria, he said going by available statistics, Nigeria has about 20 million out-of-school children.
“We have done it before in Kano. We practically mopped up children who wanted to go to school. And we selected many universities, both private and public. We are not in a hurry to start new universities, but we would strengthen and improve the existing ones. We will also provide classrooms in each state for the out-of-school children,” he explained.
Specifically, he said funding would not be a problem as “you can imagine how much money this nation can get if there is peace, in the oil and gas and agricultural sectors alone. So many people would also come and invest in Nigeria if we have peace. Indeed, there are so many issues that would be resolved, if we solve the problem of insecurity.”
In particular, he said he is happy that the NNPC has been unbundled and privatised, adding that it is the right way to go, as NNPP would support this and ensure that the oil and gas industry is commercially run well and profitably.
On whether he would be stepping down for any other presidential candidate, he said the NNPP has gone past that consideration. “This is coming from our detractors. Nigerians know that whoever is still talking about stepping down is not serious. Earlier, we tried to talk about merger, but it didn’t work. We have now submitted names, documents and everything to the Independent National Electoral Commission. There is no merger talk again. NNPP is going to win the election,” he assured.
Also, the Chairman of the NNPP Board of Trustees (BoT), Boniface Aniebonam, said the party, which was founded over two decades ago, is on a divine mission as Kwankwaso, its presidential candidate, is in contest to fulfil a divine call for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Earlier in an opening remark, NGE President, Mustapha Isah, had said that the forum was interested in knowing the candidate’s plans for the country so that the people could make informed choices.
Isah said that the forum would host all presidential candidates while urging all of them to address key issues that concern the people and avoid attacks on individuals.
He also cautioned against false claims aimed at misleading the electorate.
“The Nigerian Guild of Editors pleads with politicians to avoid attacks on individuals
“They should, rather, focus on the real issues that concern the ordinary people.
“I also urge the presidential candidates to call their spokespersons to order as some of their press statements and interviews are heating up the polity.
“On our part, we pledge to be neutral. Nigeria must get it right next year and we want issues-based campaigns,” he said.
On Kwankwaso’s entourage were the BOT Secretary, Galadima, Ladipo Johnson, Dr Kelechukwu Nnamani, Kazeem Mustapha, Prince Ademola Ayoud, Mr Muyiwa Jatterson, among others.
