The National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has said that contrary to insinuations making the rounds about Labour Party(LP) and New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) ongoing negotiations, that “The truth of the matter is that it is in his (Kwankwaso’s) own interest for him to take the Vice Presidency. Peter Obi is the man of the moment, he has the credentials and he is the most popular as we speak and not Kwankwaso.
Mr. Abure was reacting to comments made by Kwankwaso over the weekend on the eligibility of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, saying that people in the North would not like to vote for Obi because of where he comes from.
On the likelihood of the alliance to happen, the NNPP candidate said, “Yes, I believe that it will happen but we believe also that there are some challenges that we are having especially from the side of the Labour Party itself, because there are so many influences – some on their side, negative and even the positive side. We have a situation today where there are some people who are in other parties, who are also influencing the decision of that party (LP). I believe it is not good for the party.
It could be recalled that Rabiu Kwankwaso said that “What I’m telling you is that if anybody from the South-East now, under this circumstance, becomes the presidential candidate of our party or any other party, the implications is that because of the activities and other issues that are really on the ground, northern voters will certainly go for their northern candidate and another party. So, the thinking is not whether I like it or I don’t, the fact remains that everybody will lose. He will lose and I will lose.”
The Labour Party Chairman noted that “When you look at fairness and equity, it doesn’t favour Kwankwaso, the mood of the country as it stands does not favour Kwankwaso. The late President Musa Yar’adua was from the North West, the current President Muhammadu Buhari, is from the North West, Nigerians will not accept another person from the North West.
“These are factors that come to play and I don’t think we should be arrogant about it.”