In a heated debate monitored by a Clariform reporter on Channels Television political program, Sunday Politics, on Sunday, regarding the ongoing permutations over the 2023 presidential election, the participants had their take on numerous issues in the political circle.
The ongoing discussion between the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi and his New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) counterpart, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso was one of the focal issues for discussion.
An NNPP chieftain, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin who decamped from the All Progressive Congress (APC) after a showdown with some big wigs in the party, took a very strong position in his defence of the NNPP flagbearer, whom he described as “the most qualified” of the current contenders for the county`s top job.
Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin like many Nigerian politician, have had his share of party decamping and switch of loyalty in the course of his political career. As a former member of the Nigerian House of Representatives, he was an All Progressive Congress member who previously represented Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State.
He confirmed the ongoing discussion for possible coalition between his new party, the NNPP and the LP. Weighing in on the coalition and on the chances of the NNPP flagbearer stepping down to join with Peter Obi as his running mate, but he roundly dismissed such possibility.
Speaking further, he said that his party`s candidate, Rabiu kwankwaso, who hails from Kano State as himself is bringing a bigger weight of advantage to the coalition than Peter Obi and therefore cannot be expected to step down for Obi.
He claims that Mr Kwankwaso is the most popular politician in the North and as a political block, the Northern share of the vote in a possible coalition between Mr Obi and Kwankwaso will be 30 percent to 70 percent in favour of Kwankwaso.
Therefore, he claims that Peter Obi needs Rabiu Kwankwaso most and not the reverse, and therefore Obi should step down to join Kwankwaso as his running mate.
He also added that Mr Obi is only one option that Mr Kwankwaos is considering from the South East as a running mate, as “there are others waiting in the list” who are interested in becoming Kwankwaso`s running mate.
In response, Don-Pedro Obaseki, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain from Edo State lambasted Abdulmumin Jibrin for his claims, saying, “it is easy for anyone to have a bloated impression of himself”.
He told the NNPP chieftain that he was manipulating facts to favour his party man. On his claim that Rabiu Kwankwaso is the most popular Northern politician, he quickly reminded Mr Jibrin that Kwankwaso has never had more than 2 million votes in his previous attempts in any election.
