Kwankwaso says NNPP merger with Peter Obi’s LP may not work, gives reasons

Former Kano State Governor and presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwanso, has explained why the anticipated alliance between his party and Labour Party (LP) is untenable.

Kwankwanso, who addressed members of the party in Gombe on Saturday, hinted that he could not accept to be a running mate to anybody because of the survival of his party

There were deliberations between NNPP and LP towards forming an alliance ahead of 2023 general elections.

Given the massive failure of the present APC adminstration, a lot of Nigerians had canvassed for Obi-Kwankwanso joint ticket as a way to dislodge the dominant parties in the country.

Speaking on the development, Kwankwanso noted that the only option available is for Peter Obi to be his running mate.

He stressed that it would boost the hope of the South- East for presidency in coming years.

He said: “From the discussion with Labour Party, the main issue was who becomes the president if the parties merge.

“At the end of the day, some of our representatives thought that there should be a criteria in terms of age, qualification, offices held, performance and so on.

Read also: Kwankwaso, Obi joint ticket will boost South-East’s hope for presidency – Abdulmumin Jibrin

“Of course the other side wouldn’t want that. Most of the people from there believe that presidency has to go the South-East.

“If now I decide to be vice presidential candidate to anybody in this country; NNPP will collapse, because the party is based on what we have built in the last 30 years.

“I served for 17 years as a civil servant; we are talking of 47 years of very serious hard work that is what is rarely holding NNPP now.

Kwankwanso charged the South-East on internal unity in order to boost their chances of producing a president.

“Even if Peter Obi wants to accept vice presidential candidate, some people in the South-East will not accept, that is not strategic. This is a golden opportunity, if they lose it, it will be a disaster.

“We have options in the NNPP in the South to pick a good vice president and one of them is the Labour Party Peter Obi you are talking about.

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