The 2023 Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has denied claims of a supposed pact involving himself, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party concerning a rotational presidency arrangement.
In an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday morning, Kwankwaso stated that he had not communicated with either Atiku or Obi, emphasising that he had adopted a policy of neutrality until the end of the year.
Recently, some media outlets (excluding The PUNCH) reported that Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso were forming an alliance in preparation for the 2027 elections.
The former Kano State governor reiterated his commitment to allowing the current Federal and State governments to focus on governance without political interference.
“I heard from a source that the PDP brought in scholars—about 45 of them—and claimed there was a consensus that Atiku would rule for four years, I would rule for another four years, and Peter Obi would rule for eight years. This is a complete lie and has no basis in reality,” Kwankwaso said.
He expressed frustration over elder statesmen in their 70s and 80s spreading such falsehoods to intellectuals, adding, “Such deceit is part of what led me and others to leave the PDP. These actions have destabilised the party.”
Kwankwaso criticised the PDP for employing dishonest tactics, asserting that their primary goal was to manipulate regional politics to secure votes from the North.
He said, “I have information from a source that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has met with me. This is not an issue, but what I know is that nobody contacted me, and I have not spoken with Atiku or Peter Obi.
“I have implemented a principle of allowing state governments and the federal government to focus on governance for the people until the end of the year.
“The most annoying thing is hearing from a source that the PDP brought scholars—about 45 of them—and told them there is a consensus that Atiku will rule for four years, Kwankwaso for four years, and Peter Obi for eight years. This is totally untrue and a blatant lie.”
He further criticised senior figures in the PDP for misleading others, saying, “It is infuriating that elder statesmen in their 70s and 80s are spreading such lies to these scholars. Such statements and deceit were among the reasons I and others left the party. Now, they have destabilised the party.”
Kwankwaso revealed that calls for restructuring within the PDP were ignored, which led to his departure.
He added, “For me to accept any arrangement, we have to revisit history. I understand the PDP thoroughly. I know their plan is to manipulate regional dynamics, bring us together, and make northerners vote for them. But we ask, what have they done for the North? These are the issues that will come into play.
“We have suffered the worst humiliation from these people. We loved the party and wanted to reform it for progress, but they forced us out. I left, Peter Obi left, Wike left, and many others left. Yet these are the same people now seeking to return and express interest in the presidency.
“This is appalling. Maybe they are remorseful or seeking forgiveness, but we have truly been humiliated by them.”