Politics

Shekarau accuses Kwankwaso of betrayal, manipulation

Published

3 years ago

September 2, 2022

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Senator Ibrahim Shekarau

Former Kano State Governor and serving Senator, Ibrahim Shekarau, has alleged that his defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party to the People’s Democratic Party was due to the betrayal of the NNPP presidential candidate, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Senator Shekarau made the allegation while appearing on the Channels TV primetime programme, Politics Today, on Thursday.

The Senator described the governor’s actions as a betrayal and “outright disregard, outright manipulation”, noting that what was important was the protection of his image, the truth and integrity.

Shekarau said, “We joined the party on the 18th of May. Long before then, almost two weeks earlier on, through my discussion with him, we made our proposals. At that time, it was the period of generating candidates of the various political offices to be contested in the 2023 general elections – state assembly, national assembly, governorship and senatorial seats.

“We sat down with Rabiu Kwankwaso. I submitted this proposal, he accepted it and he said in about one or two, three days, he’s going to prepare his proposal. And then I together with him will sit down to sort ourselves out and harmonise and see what we can do to produce electable people in our various constituencies”.

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Senator Shekarau said that the governor had presented him a senatorial form upon his defection to the party from the APC. He however challenged the governor when the party leadership had released what he considered an incomplete list of candidate names.

Shekarau added,“This hope and trust and sincerity kept us moving up to the 18th of May where we had a public declaration and Kwankwaso came with all his own political associate it was a very big ceremony.

“It was at that meeting that he brought the senatorial seat of Kano central form, and presented it to me, he said I was the first to receive the form. At that time as at 18th of May, no other candidate had been identified or listed or given form through the various discussion that we agreed to make.

“The same 18th of May by the night, midnight, we saw a list released by the party leadership in the state, handwritten list of candidates by their constituencies and indicating as having solved the entire constituencies’ candidate.

“In fact, in the list released on the 18th by the night, even some constituencies had no name. The following morning I met him and I challenged the list released, we said this is unacceptable because in the entire list, except my name, no any other name from our own movement from our own political association was reflected on the list”.

Following his challenge, the duo had agreed to set up a nine-man committee, made up of four men each from each of the governors’ camps and the party’s state chairman to harmonize the lists and fix the deficiencies. This assignment would eventually drag for three months until the closing date set by the Independent National Electoral Commission closed.

Shekarau said, “We convened a meeting, I had to call a meeting of my political associates, to brief them as to what we went through for three months.

And we set up a committee of 30 to go and review the situation, we still did not make it public.

“But to our surprise, few days later, my brother Rabiu Kwankwaso was on air on the Hausa service of the BBC, saying that there was no way we could be attended to, because we joined the party when it was too late.”

He added that it was deceitful for Governor Kwankwaso to have let them set up a committee, and then to turn around to say they had come late.

Punch

Related Topics:betrayal Kwankwaso manipulation Shekarau

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2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Published

5 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has officially announced his intention to contest for re-election in the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Sani made the declaration on Sunday while delivering his Eid-el-Fitr message at his residence in Kaduna. The former senator, known for his vocal stance on national issues, expressed his commitment to representing the people of Kaduna Central once again and addressing key challenges facing the region.

“Any politician contesting an election depends on the political equation that determines the position to vie for. If the conditions are right and the equations are favorable, I will offer myself to contest specifically for the Kaduna Central senatorial district,” he stated.

He further emphasised that his ambition remains secondary to ensuring the re-election of Governor Uba Sani for a second term.

“For now, our priority is to see that the incumbent governor, Uba Sani, is re-elected. We will work with all our might and strength to achieve this. We know there will be challenges and opposition, but we are well prepared for all forces,” he added.

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Sani also used the occasion to urge Muslims to pray for Nigeria’s peace and unity during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. Additionally, he condemned the recent killing of hunters in Edo State, calling on security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.

“If citizens cannot move freely across the country, then we are not truly a nation. If individuals take the law into their hands for any reason, it means there is no government or authority,” he lamented.

He called on all Nigerians who desire a better country to work towards peace and unity for the preservation of democracy, despite the challenges being experienced.

Sani also urged the government to uphold fundamental human rights, particularly the right to life, as a crucial step towards national stability and development.

2027 election: Shehu Sani declares bid for Kaduna central senatorial seat

Politics

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Published

15 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Lere Olayinka, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media has alleged that one Nigerian that can never be found in the gathering of men of character and integrity is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Olayinka said this while reacting to statement by the Atiku Media Office that Atiku rejected the choice of Wike as his Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election of his character.

This was in spite of the fact that a committee set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to select a Vice Presidential candidate for the 2023 election had recommended Wike.

However, Olayinka said rather than Wike, it’s Atiku that that lacked character as attested to by his former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo, in his book; My Watch.

According to Olayinka, it was already too late for Atiku to buy ‘character and integrity that he has lacked from birth’.

He said no one could have knew Atiku better than President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom he served as Vice President for eight years.

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Olayinka said; “One of the reasons Wike first rejected Atiku’s offer to have him as his running mate was his not too impressive character and integrity rating, until he was prevaied upon. And this, Atiku exhibited when he rejected the decision of committee the party set up to pick his running mate even after telling everyone that the decision of the committee will be bidding on him.

“Now, after his lies that he picked his running mate based on the committee report that placed the former Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, as number one was bursted, he is now sermonising about character and integrity, which he, himself does not have.

“Funny that the same Atiku, that his boss described as a ‘blatant and shameless liar,’ is the one talking about character.

“For the records, Obasanjo said in his book, ‘My Watch’ that ‘What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.’

“Up till today, Atiku has not debunked what his boss said about him.

“Unlike Atiku, Wike does not hide or pretend on where he stands on issues. He is not one that will do a tweet on major issues and rush to delete it. He didn’t pretend about his position on the 2023 election and he won’t pretend on where he will stand in 2027.

“It is Atiku, that should start being truthful and reliable, especially now that he is old, because everything should not be about desperation to be president.”

Wike’s aide slams Atiku, says it’s too late to buy integrity

Politics

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Published

6 days ago

March 26, 2025

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he does not know if he will contest the presidency in 2027.

Atiku made the remark in a yet-to-be-aired interview for a television show, Untold Stories, with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, scheduled for broadcast today but exclusively obtained by Daily Trust.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

However, there has been widespread speculation about who will lead the coalition and emerge as its presidential candidate, with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, being considered among its key figures.

When asked if he would be running for the presidency in 2027, Atiku said: “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”

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Atiku, who has run for the presidency a record six times, did not rule out the possibility of contesting again in 2027.

“I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time.

“We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said.

He agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy is deteriorating, saying the situation is “very dire.”

“No doubt about that,” he said.

Atiku also expressed his disappointment with the country’s political leadership.

“The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”

Atiku also questioned the credibility of the current legislative leadership, especially as it relates to the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency in Rivers State

“I am not surprised,” he said, alleging that they are corrupt.