A leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP),Buba Galadima, has alleged that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has pleaded with Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), to withdraw from the campaign and support him.
Galadima made this claim and said that the NNPP would triumph even in Atiku’s electoral district.
He stated that Atiku will be defeated in Jada Local Government of Adamawa State as he is only in the race on paper.
Galadima also alleged that the Presidential candidate of the PDP is using religious leaders to appeal to Kwankwaso to step down for him, “Atiku used former heads of state and prominent people to appeal to Kwankwaso, Atiku used traditional rulers, spent billions of naira to persuade them to go and talk to Kwankwaso to step down for him.
“He used northern groups to try to manipulate and say that they interviewed the presidential candidates and found Atiku to be the best. They know we know, they could not achieve their vision.
“We are more northerners than them. Kwankwaso is from Kano and I am from Gashua. My village to the extreme part of the north is about 50 kilometers, so I am northerner than them and I am older.
“Recently he (Atiku) sent some three prominent Islamic scholars to Kwankwaso’s house to kneel down for him pleaded to step down, we sent them away. Yes, who are they? We respect that regalia but if they remove it, we will ask small boys to deal with them.” he added.
Speaking on the possibility of the NNPP deciding to form a merge with the PDP, Veteran Journalist, Babajide Kolad-Otitoju said no sign has been shown to indicate that this will happen.
According to him, if Buba Galadima come out and speak in this manner and
expose what happened in the dark, it only shows that is is not a route they will want to pass through.
Kwankwaso wants to be seen as the most dominant politician in Northern Nigeria
and it will not serve his cause to step down for Atiku because he wants to be the biggest fish in the pond, adding that Kwankwaso has been working hard for this for a long time.
Mr Otitoju noted that in the Northwest which is going to be the battle ground in this election, Kwankwaso does not see himself as being inferior to anyone.
He noted that as far as Kwankwaso is concerned, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar is only wasting his time.
BKO said Kwankwaso is someone who believes in ‘the winner takes all’ which is evident in the way he treated Shekarau.
Also speaking, Executive Editor, New Dawn Nigeria, Tunde Abatan said looking at the Northwest, for anyone to emerge President in Nigeria, you have to have
majority of votes in the Northwest, and Southwest, block votes.
“The kind of followership that Buhari had, Kwankwaso cannot be compared with him in anyway. I can’t see him going beyond the Northwest of today.
“You still need a spread to become the president of Nigeria, you have to have 25 percent in two thirds of the states of the country which is 24 States.
“Maybe there is rivalry between Atiku and Kwankwaso.
“Kwankwaso has been governor for eight years, he has been to the Senate, Atiku was only Vice president. In terms of massive following, he maybe stronger than Atiku in the Northwest but he may not be able to gather enough followers.
In his submission, BKO said Atiku has never done well in Northwest because Buhari has always dominated that particular area.
Kwankwaso is not a spoiler, he is someone wishing to be the strongest politician and he has worked really hard to build the Kwankwasia family, to get them to the level that they are now.
He added that the Kano race is a particularly interesting race and he does not see Kwankwaso stepping down for Atiku.
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