Kwankwaso Tried to Benefit From Peter Obi’s Popularity – Okupe
A chieftain of Labour Party, Doyin Okupe has said that it was NNPP and their presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso who tried to benefit from the traction and popularity of Peter Obi of Labour Party even when any talk of alliance were long dead.
Ahead of the forthcoming presidential election, former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has since emerged as the candidate of the Labour Party while former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso is the flagbearer of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
But contrary to the expectations of many, a chieftain of the Labour Party, Doyin Okupe, on Tuesday declared that there would be no alliance between the duo.
“That discussion, or those discussions about a merger, alliance and all that were led by me from our side; it is dead – DEAD and buried,” he said during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Peter Obi Has Long Withdrawn From Any Talk of Alliance
“It is not going to work. The Labour Party and its presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi have long withdrawn from that conversation. And it was NNPP that continued to try to benefit from the traction of the popularity of Obi. Out of maturity, I decided that we will not take them on media-wise. So we kept quiet, but they kept going on.”
Both Peter Obi and Kwankwaso are in the race to become the next president when President Muhammadu Buhari completes his second term in office in May 2023.
Amid concerns for a total shift of power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s grip, there have been calls for both men to form an alliance to boost their winning chances in the coming poll.
Although Kwankwaso had in a recent interview with Channels Television said an alliance was ‘highly likely’. He stated that he cannot be a running mate not just to Obi but any candidate of the south-east extraction.
According to him, an average northern voter will prefer to support a candidate from the region than a south-easterner.
Neither Peter Obi Nor Kwankwaso is Willing to be Running Mate
But it appears neither Obi nor Kwankwaso is willing to be a running mate to the other. So Okupe insists talks about an alliance are long dead.
“The talk for an alliance had been dead for over four weeks,” he stressed. “I am the leader of the team that went to discuss with Kwankwaso’s team, and it was dead.
“The moment I asked them one single question: would they consider it appropriate and okay for a president of northern extraction and Muslim to finish eight years and another Muslim northerner from the next state to take over?
“And they said there is nothing wrong with that; as far as I’m concerned, the discussion was over and it has remained over since then.”
This development has therefore paved way for the possible emergence of an economist and reputable entrepreneur Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as a possible running mate of Mr. Peter Obi.
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