The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has described claim that its presidential candidate Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso will step down and declare support for Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP ahead of the Feb. 25 presidential election as a lie.
The PDP presidential candidate had said in an interview on Tuesday that he has met with Kwankwaso and Labour Party’s Peter Obi with a view to getting them to support his ambition in the February 25 election.
But Atiku who spoke in an interview with the BBC Hausa service said both Obi and Kwankwaso are not a threat to his chances of winning at the Feb.25 poll.
Although, I see no threat in any of them but we are in talks, and the discussion might yield a positive result that will see one of them coming.”
But reacting to the claim, the National Chairman of NNPP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said the party was not in alliance talk with the PDP and its candidate will not step down because of so many reasons which include competence, capacity, vibrancy, articulation and acceptability.
“Our members have been worried because we have huge crowds in the South and in the North.
“Our presidential candidate is campaigning. Our governorship candidates, Senatorial candidates, House of Representatives candidates and the State House of Assembly candidates have been campaigning.
Since we came up with this mantra for a new Nigeria, we’ve not been engaged in unnecessary controversy. As a responsible party, we have been taken for granted
We are not in talks with any party,” he said.
He said Kwankwaso is a forerunner in the contest.
The election of 2023 is different. Some leaders whose agenda is to work for some candidates, want a northern candidate.
“We kept quiet when the PDP Presdential candidate Atiku Abubakar said he was the Northern candidate.
“They talk about a government of national unity. Nobody is talking about that.
“We are not planning an alliance with Atiku.
He should respect his age and he can’t force anyone to endorse him,” he said.