Obi won’t step down for Atiku – Daily Trust

The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed speculations that the social gathering could withdraw from the presidential race in favour of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) forward of the 2027 normal elections.

He insisted that the NDC ticket stays firmly within the contest and expressed robust confidence in profitable.

In an announcement posted on his official Facebook web page, Kwankwaso accused the ADC Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) of focusing its power on attacking him, the NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, and the social gathering, relatively than advertising its personal candidate to Nigerians.

He acknowledged that makes an attempt to painting the NDC as working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or planning to step down for the ADC have been baseless and designed to mislead voters.

“We will not withdraw our candidature for the ADC or any other party. We remain confident in our capacity, competence, and readiness to lead Nigeria,” he mentioned.

The NDC vice-presidential candidate alleged that the ADC marketing campaign workforce was engaged in “mischief” towards his social gathering and warned supporters to ignore any last-minute claims suggesting the NDC had endorsed or withdrawn in favor of one other candidate.

Kwankwaso added that the ADC marketing campaign council ought to as a substitute deal with allegations reportedly made towards its candidate by Vice President Kashim Shettima relatively than focusing on the NDC management.

According to him, the NDC presidential ticket—which he described because the “OK ticket”—is just not working for the APC or any of its factions and has no purpose to step down for every other political social gathering.

“The OK ticket is neither working for nor acting on behalf of the APC or any of its candidates. We see no possibility or reason to withdraw from the presidential race in favor of the ADC candidate or any other,” he acknowledged.

Kwankwaso additionally criticized the APC-led administration, stating that the federal government had failed Nigerians, whereas sustaining that the ADC didn’t supply a greater various.

Describing the NDC as probably the most formidable opposition social gathering within the nation, he urged supporters to stay dedicated to securing victory on the polls.

He emphasised that the NDC ticket is absolutely dedicated to addressing important challenges in safety, training, agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, and the economic system, whereas actively selling nationwide unity.

“Nigeria will be OK,” he added.

Meanwhile, the ADC-PCC has dismissed Kwankwaso’s response to its earlier assertion as diversionary, insisting that his response has additional raised questions on his alleged political alignment with the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The ADC-PCC had earlier suggested Kwankwaso to cease attacking Atiku and redirect his power in the direction of holding the ruling APC accountable.

The Council maintained that, as an opposition determine, Kwankwaso must be difficult the current “administration over the worsening economic hardship, insecurity and declining living standards confronting Nigerians, rather than repeatedly targeting Atiku and the ADC.”

In an announcement on Sunday, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, mentioned Kwankwaso’s response had failed to handle the substance of the Council’s considerations.

According to the ADC-PCC, Kwankwaso casually talked about the APC in his defence however devoted a lot of his response to attacking the ADC, a improvement it mentioned raised questions on his priorities as an opposition chief.

“Why is Kwankwaso making our candidate the issue instead of confronting the ruling APC, whose policies have made life increasingly difficult for millions of Nigerians?” the Council requested.

It argued that “Nigerians were more concerned about hunger, insecurity, high fuel prices, the depreciation of the naira and the crushing economic hardship under the APC-led government than political exchanges among opposition figures.”