The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has warned the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against choosing Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso as running mate, alleging that the former NNPP presidential candidate could eventually turn against them.
The NNPP said Kwankwaso’s political differences with the party after contesting the 2023 presidential election on its platform should serve as a warning to the NDC.
The party’s National Secretary-General, Ogini Olaposi, stated this in a statement on Monday, describing Obi’s choice of Kwankwaso as running mate as a “gross mistake.”
Olaposi said the NDC should have considered Kwankwaso’s political history before settling for him as Obi’s running mate.
He said: “This is why political parties must be careful of who they choose as running mates and flag bearers.
“Kwankwaso dragged a party that brought him to the limelight in the presidential contest, freely gave him a platform and did all it could to support him, and now thinks he is free from the wrath of God?
“Once a betrayer, always a betrayer, and posterity will prove us right.”
Olaposi alleged that Kwankwaso turned against the NNPP after the 2023 presidential election despite the opportunity provided by the party for him to contest on its platform.
“The rare opportunity NNPP gave to Kwankwaso in 2023, in addition to a free ticket, is what has brought him to the frontline of negotiations at the presidential level in Nigeria at the moment,” he said.
He further alleged that Kwankwaso’s actions contributed to the internal crisis in the NNPP and the departure of some members from the party.
“We will not forget in a hurry how he destroyed the party, leading to our members leaving in droves. He will betray the NDC in the same manner shortly,” Olaposi alleged.
The NNPP chieftain also rejected claims that the party was handed over to Kwankwaso by its founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam.
“It is preposterous and unthinkable to assert that we dashed what belongs to the Board of Trustees of a registered political party out, without handing over the original certificate of registration,” he said.
Olaposi also argued that Obi’s popularity alone would not guarantee victory for the NDC in the 2027 election, saying voters would also consider the political antecedents of his running mate.
“One candidate in a party alone cannot guarantee victory. People will also look at the antecedents of the running mate because, in the event of any happenstance, the vice-president may become the president.
“Nigerians know this and the NDC will understand it at the polls,” he said.
He also dismissed large crowds at political rallies as an indication of electoral strength, saying attendance at rallies did not necessarily translate into votes.
“Pulling rented crowds at rallies is not tantamount to votes. The same crowd will be paid to be everywhere else,” Olaposi said.
Olaposi urged the founder of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, to remain vigilant and protect the party’s structure.
“It is our hope that Seriake Dickson, founder of NDC, shall be on the alert and ensure that his co-founders are duly activated to protect the structure of NDC from Kwankwaso,” he said.
He also appealed to NNPP members who had left the party to return ahead of the 2027 general elections.
