Presidency: Step Down For Atiku – Northern Group Urges Kwankwaso

A group named the Northern Liberal Democratic Movement (NLDM) has urged Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), to drop out of the election in favour of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

The organisation asserted that Atiku was in a stronger position to win the election regardless of the former governor Kano’s choice, as was the sentiment and opinion of stakeholders in the area and the nation.

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This is contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja by the National Secretary of the movement, Hon Balarabe Ali Bello.

Apart from the regional mood, Bello claimed in the statement that the current situation is forcing a large number of chieftains and NNPP members to defect to the PDP in the region in expectation of an Atiku victory in February.

The NNPP has in the last few weeks lost its chieftains to the PDP with the recent being the Deputy Governorship Candidates of the party in Niger and Yobe State, so also the state chairman of the party in Kaduna and the Zonal secretary of the party in the North East zone. These chieftains defected with scores of their supporters.

Prior to that, no fewer than 700,000 party members defected to the PDP in Bauchi state, in the country’s North East, leading many regional stakeholders to encourage Kwankwaso to give up in favor of Atiku Abubakar, who many believe is best-positioned to win the election in February.

Bello said, “I am joining other well-meaning Northerners to urge our brother, His Excellency, distinguished Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to consider the overwhelming interest of our people and allow the Wazirin of Adamawa win the forthcoming elections.

“He is a young man who would eventually get his opportunities at the appointed time.

“The rate at which many members of his party are defecting to the PDP should serve as a clear signal to him to do the right thing in the interest of the people of the North and country.”