Abdulmumin Jibrin, a former House of Representatives member, claims that the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, now controls President Muhammadu Buhari’s northern votes.
Jibrin stated this during a Channels Television interview on Friday.
There have recently been rumors that Kwankwaso may ask his supporters to vote for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election.
In response to the speculation, Jibrin, the spokesperson for Kwankwaso’s presidential campaign, stated that the former governor is not considering joining the APC.
“We have debunked these lies over and over again. It is an attempt to give a wrong impression to the public for one or two parties to be able to raise their standing in public.
“Kwankwaso is a practical politician, we are serious-minded people. We are not in this race for anyone and I have said it over and over again.
“People should disregard all these rumours that ‘Kwankwaso is working for Asiwaju, We are going to merge with APC’.
“How will he do that? Somebody who is controlling the heart of the north. Somebody who is the beneficiary of the 12 million Buhari votes.
“Kwankwaso is the most popular person, most loved. He is the person who is going to control those votes. Now look at the dynamics of the election today, there is no sitting governor in the northern part of the country that is contesting for the presidency so every governor has his peculiar challenges in his State.
“What the governors are interested in is to deliver their States. They know it is dangerous for you within your States to say you are going against Kwankwaso because Kwankwaso has his own direct connection with the masses.
“In the entire northern part of the country, nobody is going to get the quantum of votes Kwankwaso is going to pull out,” Jibrin said.