Kwankwaso says no power-sharing agreement with Atiku, Obi

Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, has reacted to speculations of power-sharing agreement with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Kwankwaso spoke in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, monitored in Abuja, on Monday.

He said he had not held any discussions with either of the two politicians in recent times.

According to him, he chose to remain politically neutral until the end of this year in order to allow governments at all levels to concentrate on the task of governance without any form of distraction.

He accused the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of trying to use manipulative tactics to secure northern votes in future elections.

The former Kano State Governor explained that any future political arrangement must take into cognisance historical facts and must be put in context.

Kwankwaso said, “For me to accept any arrangement, we have to go back to history; I understand PDP in totality.

“I know their plan is to procure a party or be beating around the bush in other parties, bring us together, and make northerners vote for them.

“But what we are asking them is what have they done to the North? These are the kinds of things that will come into play. But in my mind, we have witnessed the worst of humiliation from these people.

“We loved this party; we wanted to rejig it so that we could prosper, but they made us to leave by force. Kwankwaso left, Peter Obi left, Wike left and others too, there is no estimate to those who left. Yet, they are the same people coming now to the fore expressing interest to be made president.

“This is appalling; maybe they are remorseful, or they are thinking they want to seek forgiveness or something related to that, but we have really been humiliated by those people.”

He further said, “I heard from a source that PDP brought in scholars—about 45 of them—and claimed there was a consensus that Atiku will rule for four years, I will rule for another four years, and Peter Obi will rule for eight years. This is a complete lie and has no basis in reality.”

He expressed disappointment that elder statesmen in their 70s and 80s would be among those spreading such mischievous falsehoods.”

Kwankwaso quipped, “Such deceit is part of what led me and others to leave the PDP. These actions have destabilised the party

2027: Why PDP shouldn’t field northern presidential candidate – Ex-Atiku campaigner

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former member of Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 Presidential Campaign Committee, Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, has called on the party to nominate a southern presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

In an interview in Lagos, Pearse, who headed the Directorate of Documentation/Reporting for Atiku’s campaign in Lagos, argued that fielding a northern candidate could harm the party’s prospects.

“The national opinion now, the tendency, the feeling generally, is that the PDP should field a southerner for president in 2027,” Pearse said. “We need somebody from the South to complete these four years, to complete the eight years of southern presidency, so that we can rescue Nigeria.”

Pearse emphasized that it would be unstrategic for the party to support a northern candidate, given the current sentiment across the nation.

No Need for Alliances
The PDP stalwart also dismissed the idea of a political merger or alliance with other opposition parties, such as the Labour Party (LP) or New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), stating that such collaborations have historically been unsuccessful.

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“An alliance in our politics, even abroad, is very difficult because it is hard for competing groups and leaders to give way for one or the other,” he explained. “It is not possible for PDP to go into any alliance in 2027. I personally think it is very unlikely.”

Pearse downplayed the potential contributions of LP and NNPP, noting that both parties only secured one governorship seat each in the last general elections.

He said the PDP has sufficient resources to win the next election with a southern candidate, citing the party’s 12 governors and a significant presence in the National Assembly.

Reuniting the Party
Pearse stressed the importance of reconciling with former members who had defected, particularly to the Labour Party.

“We just need to strengthen our party. We need to reach out to our members that have left the party. If 60 percent of them return, we will win the next election,” he stated.

He highlighted efforts underway to bring back youth members and others who supported rival parties during the 2023 elections, emphasizing the need for unity within the PDP.

Lessons from 2023
Reflecting on the 2023 elections, Pearse attributed the PDP’s loss to internal divisions, particularly regarding zoning issues.

“The party went astray last time because they did not clarify the constitutional tenets that said if the national chairman comes from the North, the presidential candidate cannot also come from the North,” he said.

He criticized the inability of former National Chairman Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to step down when a northern candidate emerged, calling it a key factor in the party’s defeat. Pearse stressed that lessons had been learned, and the party would avoid such missteps in the future.

“We are not going to allow it to happen now,” he added.

2027: Why PDP shouldn’t field northern presidential candidate – Ex-Atiku campaigner

Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition

Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed speculations about his potential bid for the governorship of Lagos State, stressing that his current focus remains on his duties in the presidency.

Speaking at the general assembly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere, Lagos, on Saturday, Gbajabiamila attributed the rumours to detractors attempting to undermine his political progress.

“Some people are saying he came back from America about 20 years ago. After spending three to four years, he became the principal officer to the Minority Whip, from there he became Minority Leader, then Majority Leader, and from Majority Leader, he became Speaker,” Gbajabiamila said.

He noted that some individuals see his rise in politics as a threat and believe he might return to Lagos to contest for governor.

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“They think with the way I’m progressing, it’s time to quickly drag me down so I won’t have any standing in Lagos,” he stated.

However, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives made it clear that the governorship race is not on his agenda for now.

Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition