Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, recently declared his intention to contest the presidential ticket of the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in an elaborate ceremony held in a hotel, Abuja.
Kwankwaso announced his intention in the presence of thousands of his followers, and some leaders of the PDP across the country, which include ex-Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion, immediate past Kano Deputy Governor, Hafiz Abubakar, and the National chairman of the Reformed All Progressive Congress (rAPC), Ibrahim Galadima.
Kwankwaso said he decided to vie for the nation’s top position because he realised that the country needed a solution to the myriads of problems which had bedevilled it for many years.
He promised to give priority to tackling the security challenges of the country, revitalise the economy and provide infrastructure, among others.
“Today, I declare that I am going to vie for the office of President Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party,” the Senator said as he received cheers from his supporters.
“I stand on my honour to offer a paradigm shift in leadership. There is no gainsaying that all is not well with the polity. It is also clear that the same mind-set that created and escalated the problems cannot be used in resolving the on-going crises in our nationhood and national development,” he added.
These include security, economy, social challenges, infrastructure, human capital development and global competitiveness, education, research and innovation.
Agri-business, healthcare delivery, international relations, youth and women empowerment, national unity, cohesion and restructuring.
“I intend to offer positive change. Change has again become inevitable. To live is to witness changes because change is an inseparable part of living. Come May 2019, the narrative of helplessness, buck- passing, division, poverty, insecurity, and hopelessness must change to turn to a new dawn of confidence in building a one well restructured Nigeria,” he said.
Kwankwaso further promised an equal society where every Nigerian irrespective of tribe or religion would have equal opportunity, stressing that his administration would strive on purposeful leadership, while frowning at impunity.
“I assure you that while I do not have the prophetic power to predict the future, we certainly have in us the ability to create the future that we want.
“On this day, as I stand before you, I offer you a value-based leadership anchored on our national ethics as outlined in Chapter 2 of Section 23 of our Constitution.
“We will provide a leadership where everybody is free and equal; where Nigerians see themselves as Nigerians first and as Ibo, Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Ibibio, Fulani, etc second; where citizens are self-assured and self-assertive; where they are confident and competent; where they want to do what is right no matter whose ox is gored. I want to lead a Nigeria where people are educated and exposed beyond the confines of their tribe, religion, linguistic group or place of birth.
“I want to lead a Nigeria where citizens respect their leaders, and leaders lead and forge a team to promote and protect the interest of all Nigerians.
“I want to lead a Nigeria where all are comfortable anywhere and on any positive
Kwankwaso ruled Kano state between 2003-2007, and between 2011- 2015, recently defected from the APC to the PDP, after falling out with incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the party, despite last minute effort by President Buhari to convince him to change his mind.
He has a rich portfolio of experience in public positions, having served as a former Minister of Defence under the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, and currently a serving Senator representing Kano central Senatorial district.
This is not the first time Kwankwaso would be declaring for the nation’s top seat. In 2014, he contested for the APC presidential ticket but placed second behind President Muhammadu Buhari in the APC primary.
During his reign as the governor of Kano State, he was noted to have transformed the education sector of the state, by investing in infrastructure in schools, building of Almaijiri schools, granting scholarship to several indigenes of the state to enable them pursue professional courses and masters programmes abroad.
However, Kwankwaso has been having a running battle with his presumed political god-son, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who he installed as governor of the state.
Ganduje, upon assumption of office had shifted allegiance to President Muhammadu Buhari, vowing to do everything within his power for the President’s re-election in 2019.
Speaking recently, Ganduje said that kwankwaso had lost political relevance in Kano State, accusing of him of failing to initiate any project, or visit his constituency since he was elected into the Senate in 2015.
“For over three years he has been sleeping in the Senate without sponsoring a bill that will positively impact on the lives of Nigerians. This is a clear indication that he has nothing to offer; he is just being boastful; for over three years he has not visited his Kano central Senatorial district, he has not executed any project either,” Ganduje said.
Analysts are of the opinion that it may be a herculean task for Kwankwaso to clinch the PDP ticket, considering the heavy weights who are equally vying for the party’s ticket. They stressed that even if he clinched the ticket, his popularity was not strong enough in the southern part of the country to win the Presidential election.
National leader of the Yoruba Patriotic Front, Soji Adejumo, said that the group would not support any presidential candidate who would not support the clamour for restructuring of the country, stressing that Kwankwaso has never been known to be an advocate of restructuring.
“For us now, the issue on ground is about restructuring of the country and there is no evidence on the ground from the Kwankwaso group that they are in support of restructuring,” Adejumo said.
“As far as we are concerned here in the southwest, it must be priority, but we would engage the presidential aspirants and get to know their views on this, and from there we can make up our mind on them, and we would then know who is serious or not,” he further said.
Idowu Omolegan, an analyst, said that Kwankwaso had the right as a Nigerian to contest for the post of president of the country, but added that the political platform he was contesting under may work against him.
Omolegan stressed that Nigerians had not forgiven the PDP for the sixteen years of its misrule in the country which he said was responsible for the country’s current woes.
“He is free like any other Nigerian to contest, but he did well in 2014 APC primary and even had more votes than Atiku; he is from Kano where the former Kano governor, Shekarau has also pledged to work with him. Don’t forget the voting population in that state.
“However, he may not win because of the party he is contesting under, the PDP. The party still has a stain in the eyes of Nigerians, and they have not forgiven them for putting us into this mess for sixteen years that they were in power,” he said.
Iniobong Iwok
