The national leadership of the Labour Party (LP), on Monday, expressed satisfaction with the prospect of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, potentially becoming the running mate to LP’s Peter Obi.
New Telegraph had earlier reported that Kwankwaso recently indicated his conditional interest in being Peter Obi’s running mate, emphasizing the need for specific conditions to be met.
In a viral video, the former Governor of Kano State who spoke in Hausa revealed his willingness to serve under Obi, saying, “I’ve no problem with deputising for Peter Obi, but only if certain conditions are met.”
Kwankwaso, who holds a PhD and prides himself on his political experience, added, “I’m bigger than Peter Obi politically; I’m his elder brother, I’m a PhD holder, I performed better than him when I was the governor of my state.”
Despite his assertions, he expressed readiness to engage in meaningful discussions with Obi, contingent on the establishment of trust between the two.
Reacting to Kwankwaso’s statement, Labour Party National Secretary Umar Farouk called the move a welcome development, praising Kwankwaso’s willingness to consider a partnership.
However, Farouk urged Kwankwaso to avoid dismissive comparisons between the two politicians, saying, “We are happy Kwankwaso has alighted from the high horse he was riding and is willing to offer himself to Obi as deputy.
With his so-called popularity in the North, Kwankwaso could only amass less than two million votes in the 2023 election.”
Farouk added, “He should stop this talk of being a bigger politician and PhD holder. What did he even do as a minister of defence? This is why we advise politicians to always consider the dynamics of politics and gauge the temperament of the electorate at a particular time.”
The Labour Party emphasized that a potential partnership between Obi and Kwankwaso could benefit the Nigerian electorate in the next election cycle, suggesting that a united front could present a formidable challenge to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Farouk concluded, “It will be in the interest of Nigerians if Obi and Kwankwaso come together to wrest power from the APC government. But we know the sitting government will not go to sleep and allow this renewed move to succeed easily.”