The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has advised Northern groups against engaging in politics of endorsement of candidates to avoid further polarising the region ahead of the 2023 general election.
Kwankwaso said this when he rejected an invitation to attend a programme organised for presidential candidates by the Arewa Joint Committee.
Spokesman of the NNPP presidential campaign spoke on behalf of the presidential candidate in a letter dated October 14 and addressed to the organisers.
The NNPP spokesman said the invitation was declined following alleged plans to endorse a particular northern candidate.
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He further explained that the date given was not convenient and he had strong reasons based on credible information that the event had been compromised.
The NNPP said any plans to endorse any candidate “is very wrong” and “will only result in further polarising than uniting the north”.
“We have credible information in our possession that shows that some people have been compromised and these people have concluded plans to turn the event into an endorsement platform for a particular candidate.
“We believe that it is very wrong for any group to clandestinely plan to endorse any candidate in the name of the North, especially when we have more than one candidate from our region.
“We are therefore advising you not to do anything that will ridicule the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello and other famous Northern Leaders like of Sir Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Sir Kashim Ibrahim, and JS Tarka, etc. by attempting to endorse an unpopular candidate at the expense of a more competent, more experienced and more credible one.
“We note that the earlier date was even postponed and a new date was fixed to coincide with the date of the rally of one of the presidential candidates in Kaduna.
“This further gives credence to the information in our possession that the event is being financed by that candidate.
“In the circumstance, and based on the above observations, our candidate will be unable to honour your invitation,” the letter read.