Rabiu Kwankwaso, ex-Kano governor, has been announced as the sole presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 presidential elections.

Boniface Aniebonam, NNPP pioneer national chairman and founder, disclosed this at a news conference on Friday in Lagos.

Mr Aniebonam said that the party’s Special National Convention scheduled for June 8 in Abuja was just to confirm Kwankwaso, a former defence minister, as the candidate of NNPP.

“He is to be returned unopposed. Kwankwaso is a man of God.

“Now is the time for God’s intervention in Nigeria. What Nigeria need now is a strong leader like Kwankwaso. A man with character and patriotism with capacity for human development.

“When we get a strong leader, all agitations will die a natural death. If Kwankwaso emerges the President, some of these problems will be resolved,” he said.

The founder said that only divine leadership could solve Nigeria’s numerous challenges.

Mr Aniebonam said the popular Kano politician had the divine voice of God to lead on the platform of NNPP.

He added that the responsibility before Kwankwaso was to reunite Nigerians, address insecurity through a revamped economy, employment opportunities and social services.

“Let Nigeria start again from the beginning. Kwankwaso is coming in to bring everybody together to end all these challenges. He is going to bring Nigerians together and he is going to re unite this country.

“Nigeria is a consuming nation. Therefore, a mandate for Kwankwaso is to reverse the trend and to make Nigeria a productive nation. Insecurity will die a natural death if there is sense of belonging, employment.

“The messenger of God has come. God’s hand is in NNPP. Let the people take their destiny in their hand in 2023,” he said.

According to him, NNPP commenced its operations in 2022 to mobilise Nigerians in the bid to reinvent a new Nigeria of everyone’s dream.

He said it had become imperative for people to take responsibility and elect credible Nigerians in 2023 to enthrone good governance.

“Indeed, the problem of Nigeria is so solvable if only leadership is divine. This is because there are no difficulties in bringing all the nationalities together to discuss how best we can live together as a people.

“The resources are available to cater for social amenities, sports, youths development and education,” Aniebonam said.

Stating that NNPP originated from the transport industry, logistics businesses and customs facilitation, Mr Aniebonam urged stakeholders in the industry to mobilise 10 million votes for NNPP presidential candidate in 2023.

“We must therefore form a strong block and drive membership and finances as part of our contribution to the success of NNPP in 2023. It is only then we can bargain effectively with a view to securing our interest and better future.

“The reach and opportunity abound to get the attention of Sen. Kwankwaso who is the sole candidate of the party in the 2023 general election.

“Let us go out to mobilise all over our clients (importers, exporters dependents and associates) and with our PVC’s on hand to raise 10 million votes for NNPP presidential candidate,” Mr Aniebonam said.

Party members are urged to build consensus and ensure constructive criticisms so as not to incite the people. 

Mr Kwankwaso is a former two-term governor of Kano. He was also elected. He also served as minister of defence from 2003 to 2007 and was a senator in 2015.

He recently abandoned the PDP in Kano to form NNPP. He has attracted Ibrahim Shekarau and other Kano bigwigs to the party, driving claims he might position the party as the country’s viable third force next year.

(NAN)