Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections, has criticized certain northern leaders for interfering in the selection and fielding of presidential candidates. In an interview with BBC Hausa, Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, accused these self-proclaimed northern stakeholders of undermining democracy and promoting disunity. This interference, he argued, results in the election of incompetent candidates.
Kwankwaso pointed out that leaders in the region should learn from past elections and refrain from influencing the candidate selection process. He stated, “This wicked practice they’re doing is causing discord among people. It is important to always have good intentions in whatever you do.” He also expressed disappointment in the elders, some of whom he referred to as “our parents,” for being driven by selfish motives when selecting candidates.
He further explained that these leaders often create the illusion of regional consensus, stating, “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.” Kwankwaso cited the 2019 elections as an example, where the northwest produced multiple candidates without considering the region’s true interests.
