NNPP chairman: Kwankwaso’s comment misconstrued, he didn’t insult south-east

Rufa’i Ahmed Alkali, national chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), says the statement credited to Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the party, was taken out of context.

On Saturday, Kwankwaso said he was offering Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), a “golden opportunity” to be his running mate.

“Even if my friend [Peter Obi] wants to accept the vice-presidential candidate, some people in the south-east will not accept, that is not strategic,” he had said.

“This is a golden opportunity, if they lose it, it will be a disaster.”

In a statement on Tuesday, Alkali said the NNPP does not look down on any part of the country for any reason.

“Dr. Mohammed Rabiu Musa 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,” the NNPP chairman said.

“The said attribution is said to have generated some ill feelings in some political circles in Nigeria, especially between the South East and the NNPP.

“However, as a party that is desirous to change the situation of the country, we believe 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.

“The NNPP wishes to categorically state the statement of its presidential candidate Senator Kwankwaso at the occasion was situated out of 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.”

The chairman said his party desires the votes of all Nigerians.