Endorsing a presidential candidate before the general elections in 2023, according to New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso, will further polarise the Northern region.
Kwankwaso claimed that the Arewa Joint Committee’s reported preparations to support “a particular northern contender” were the reason he snubbed an invitation to attend a programme organised for presidential hopefuls.
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In response to the development, the NNPP presidential campaign’s spokesman said in a letter to the organisers dated October 14 that the choice was dependent on purported plans by the committee to support “a certain northern candidate.”
The letter claimed that in addition to the supplied date being unfavourable, NNPP also had reliable evidence that the event had been tainted.
Endorsing a candidate from the area “would only result in further dividing rather than uniting the north,” the party cautioned the program’s organisers.
“We have credible information in our possession that shows that some people have been compromised and these people have concluded plans to turn the event into an endorsement platform for a particular candidate,” the letter reads.
“We believe that it is very wrong for any group to clandestinely plan to endorse any candidate in the name of the North, especially when we have more than one candidate from our region.
“We are therefore advising you not to do anything that will ridicule the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello and other famous Northern Leaders like of Sir Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, and JS Tarka, etc. by attempting to endorse an unpopular candidate at the expense of a more competent, more experienced and more credible one.
“We note that the earlier date was even postponed and a new date was fixed to coincide with the date of the rally of one of the presidential candidates in Kaduna.
“This further gives credence to the information in our possession that the event is being financed by that candidate.
“In the circumstance, and based on the above observations, our candidate will be unable to honour your invitation.”
The ACF secretary general, Murtala Aliyu, responded to the charge by saying it is unfounded. He demanded that the NNPP provide proof to back up the claim.
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We received their letter, he said. First of all, he stated that he is not taking part in the conversation because it conflicts with other commitments.
“We are not calling them to endorse any candidate. I think that accusations like this are a bit weighty.
“I have not seen any candidate one on one. I have not received any donations from any candidate one on one or collectively or formally or informally.
“I was taken aback when I saw it. The six groups (that made up the Joint Arewa Committee) pooled resources together to organise the programme.
“So, if anybody has given anything, I am not aware of it and it has not come to my notice. Our groups are multi partisan; some people are in LP; some are in PDP, APC, NNPP, and so on. So, you can’t endorse any candidate.”
Even if a candidate contributes to the event, according to Aliyu, it will have no bearing on the outcome.
A few presidential aspirants had been invited by the committee, which consists of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation (ABF), Arewa Research and Development Project, and Jamiyyar Matan Arewa, to participate in an interactive session in Kaduna.
Atiku Abubakar, a candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Abiola, a candidate for the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), and Adewale Adeboye, a candidate for the Social Democratic Party, all participated in the programme, which began on Saturday (SDP).
