By Kolawole Ojebisi
Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has explained how people he described as “self-proclaimed northern stakeholders'” interference in the selection of candidates during presidential election is undermining democracy.
The leader of the Kwankwasiyyan Movement added that this interference which borders on meddlesomeness in candidates fielded for elections causes disunity among people, leading to electing incompetent candidates at the polls.
Kwankwaso said this during an interview with BBC Hausa on Saturday.
He emphasised that the region’s leaders should draw lessons from the experiences of past elections and refrain from influencing the process of fielding candidates.
“This wicked practice they’re doing is causing discord among people. It is important to always have good intentions in whatever you do. It is unfortunate that these elders—some of whom are our parents—are being driven by selfish motives in fielding candidates.
“They often connive to fabricate falsehood, gather people and tell them that these are the candidates the region endorses, when in reality the decision was taken by just two or three persons. Instead of going to Port Harcourt or Abuja to promote our interests (we who are their children), they rather follow the dictates of their selfish minds.”
Citing 2019 general elections where the northwest produced seven candidates, Kwankwaso said, “We have all manner of people — former governors, former ministers, tall, short — but in the end they did what suited them without considering our interests.”
