Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has said he can’t be running mate to Peter Obi, standard-bearer of the Labour Party.
The former Kano governor noted that his party is offering a golden opportunity to Peter Obi to be his running mate.
Speaking on Saturday with journalists after inaugurating the state office of the NNPP in Gombe state, Kwankwaso said if he becomes the running mate to Obi, the NNPP will collapse.
He said the south-east will miss a golden opportunity if the LP candidate is not his running mate in 2023.
“From the discussion with the Labour Party, the main issue was who becomes the president if the parties merge,” Kwankwaso said.
“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,” the NNPP candidate said.
“Of course the other side wouldn’t want that. Most of the people from there believe that the presidency has to go there. If I decide to be a vice presidential candidate for 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.
“Even if my friend [Peter Obi] wants to accept the 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.”