Whoever claims 2023 is his turn is wrong – Kwankwaso
Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) had said that anyone who says 2023 is his turn is wrong.
Though Kwankwaso did not directly name a presidential candidate, the context suggests he was referring to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While campaigning for the APC primaries, Tinubu had claimed that, after helping others attain high government positions, it was now his turn.
The contentious remark was widely discussed and trended on social media for several days.
On the other hand, Kwankwaso promised a different kind of election in 2023 during remarks he made on Sunday in Lagos.
As a precaution, he urged Nigerians not to vote for someone who is sick, saying that others were planning to take advantage of the situation in which Dr. Goodluck Jonathan found himself in power after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Party discourse has died down, people say. Discussions centre on potential candidates and individuals. Both the APC and the PDP have let down the people of Nigeria. That’s why things have become so bad today. I welcome arguments. Let’s lay everything out on the table and see what we have. Some of the contenders are trying to avoid public forums. Some of them need to take an honest look in the mirror and tell the truth to themselves. There are some of our more senior members among them. You can’t outsmart Mother Nature. The person who thinks his time will come in 2023 is wrong.
No one was consulted before to Yar’Adua’s nomination as PDP candidate in 2007. Lack of meaningful consultation was a problem. Yar’Adua’s illness and the ensuing conflicts, as well as the requirement of using the concept of necessity to swear in Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as acting president and Yar’Adua’s subsequent death, were all things about which we knew but about which we did not consult. We still see repeat performances of that scene nowadays. Assumptions were made by some that if they became vice president, they would quickly ascend to the presidency.
While outlining his plans to combat insecurity, stimulate the economy, and enhance education if he is elected, Kwankwaso also vowed not to resign for anyone.
Reports of my resignation have been spread by my opponents, who make up things to fit their own biases. Because the window of opportunity for mergers, alliances, etc., to be implemented has closed, any leader thinking of stepping down now is being unfair to himself. The NNPP has made winning the elections in 2023 a top priority. Support and popularity for the other parties are declining, and they can do nothing to reverse the trend.
“NNPP is the only rising party right now, and that trend will continue leading up to the 2023 elections.” Nobody else is going to chime in. To remove the military from power, I helped found the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Aside from ousting the military, the PDP was formed for no other reason.
Following the expulsion of the armed forces, we came to terms with our disagreements. As a result, I didn’t get re-elected as governor of Kano in 2003. For this reason, it was necessary for five of us PDP governors to leave our party and join the newly formed APC. Furthermore, we learned that APC is not without its problems, which dampened our enthusiasm. With our minds aligned, we resolved to create a coalition. We looked for another party, but the INEC turned us down, so we joined the NNPP instead.
That’s in line with our principles and our philosophies. That we switched from the APC and the PDP to the NNPP is a decision we do not regret.
