Kwankwaso Makes Me Laugh

 By Ochereome Nnanna

“I’m bigger than Peter Obi politically, I’m his elder brother, I’m a PhD holder, I performed better than him when I was a governor of my state. I’ve no problem with deputising Peter Obi, but only if certain conditions are met…” – Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in a recent interview.

Let us analytically examine the above statement, and you will see why Kwankwaso makes me laugh. The former governor of Kano State and leader of the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, betrays his confused state of mind, egotism and delusion in making this spurious claim. He claims he is “bigger” than Mr Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, during the 2023 elections, without justifying his claim. He cannot justify it because it is a blatant lie. Let us look at the official figures as released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In the presidential election of February 25, 2023, INEC scored Peter Obi third with 6,101,533 votes. Kwankwaso came a distant fourth with 1,496,687. How can one million be “bigger” than six million except in Kwankwaso’s delusional books? Also, Peter Obi led the LP to win seven seats in the current 10th Senate, with the senators drawn from several parts of the country. Kwankwaso’s party only picked up two seats, both from Kano. Also, in the House of Representatives, LP netted 36 members while NNPP got 18, almost half. Even Obi’s arch political foe, Nyesom Wike, confessed that Peter Obi was the main issue in the 2023 general elections.

The second claim which led Kwankwaso to the queer conclusion that he is a better candidate was deduced based on age. Since when did age really matter in politics? Indeed, age is often a negative factor. It was Joe Biden’s age-related problems that threw him out of the race for President of the United States. One of Nigeria’s most effective rulers ever, General Ibrahim Babangida, consistently picked older Deputies – Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe and Admiral Augustus Aikhomu. Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck Jonathan’s VP, was three years older. Age has nothing to do with quality leadership.

The Kano politician also claimed he “performed better” as governor. Says who? Beauty is usually in the eyes of the beholder. In spite of Kwankwaso’s touted educational achievements, Obi, who was his peer in office, took Anambra from 26th to first in WAEC and NECO performances. Kwankwaso’s Kano languished behind. Obi made news as the only governor so far who handed over billions of naira and millions of dollars in savings to his successor. He is also an accomplished economist, businessman and industrialist, with a proven record of incorruptibility, frugality and self-effacement.

This is unlike Kwankwaso (PhD), a professional politician who made his billions from politics. Kwankwaso is a political dealmaker and showed his stuff in this direction during the 2023 presidential race where he was ready to step down for Bola Tinubu of the APC “if certain conditions are met”, as he usually puts it. Even after the elections, he continued to hobnob with “victorious” Tinubu till their negotiations fell apart.

In terms of trust and leadership abilities, Obi is miles ahead of Kwankwaso. The latter seems to know this, thus his willingness to “deputise” for the same man he claims to be better than. The truth is that Obi and Kwankwaso are like water and oil. They don’t mix. Their ways are not the same, neither are their visions for Nigeria.

Kwankwaso is a narrow-minded, Arewa fundamentalist Igbo hater. His focus is not even all of the North but more of Kano than elsewhere. He is one of those who believe that Northerners are born to rule, and the rest of the country is the colony of the North. These are the people who destroyed the North and brought Nigeria to multidimensional failure.

Kwankwaso is the kind of person who, if made a VP to Obi, will from Day One begin to engineer a one-term tenure (the so-called Mandela option) for his principal to enable him take over. He is just like the kind of Northerner who could rouse Kano into riots against the President if he (Kwankwaso) is not getting his way. Kwankwaso is not a vice presidential material. He will be a bone in the throat of any Southern president, especially a strongly pro-change Igbo.

In the event of a multiparty coalition where Peter Obi is chosen as the man to lead, he must be allowed to pick his VP. It is only when two people agree that they can work together. Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed is still the best running mate for Obi and Nigerians. He is a nationalist, intelligent, loyal and bristles for positive change. Baba-Ahmed is an accomplished private sector employer and system builder. He is not a sectional rabble-rouser. He will make a worthy President of Nigeria in the future.

This is not to say that Kwankwaso and his group will not be a valuable part of a national coalition to see off the “T-painful” and purposeless All Progressives Congress, APC, dispensation. But such a coalition will not be easy to build against a formidable sitting president such as Bola Tinubu. He already has almost everything he needs to bag a second term, whether he performs or not.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, is his personal boy from more than 25 years. Egbetokun has just been handed a three-year career extension to coincide with 2027. A new Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has just assumed office. Tinubu will in September or so 2025, appoint a new INEC Chairman. The machinery to deliver his second term on a platter is intact.

Any coalition mustering against Tinubu could be completely taken apart before 2027, and people like Kwankwaso are always open for terms and conditions.

*Nnanna is a commentator on public issues