Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), has stated that former Anambra State governor Peter Obi could have been his running mate.
Former Kano State governor Kwankwaso spoke on Monday, amid speculation that the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate was set to become his running mate.
“Many people suggested that (for Obi to be his running mate). I believe it could have been possible if not because he joined another party and now he is already a candidate as we have seen from the news just now,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “We look forward to seeing what happens in the next few days or weeks.”
While wishing Obi well, Senator Kwankwaso said the duo had an opportunity to talk about several national issues.
“Actually, we had the opportunity to talk to ourselves on many national issues until a few days to the time when he declared for the Labour Party of which now he is the presidential candidate,” he said.
When asked if the party would consider picking his running mate from the South East, he said the NNPP is not yet settled on that. As far as the former APC chieftain is concerned, the NNPP needs an influential personality as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.
“We are not there yet. After the convention, the party will sit down and look around and see if we can have a very good, credible person with capacity; somebody who is acceptable; somebody who can bring as many people as possible to vote for our party as a vice president of the NNPP from the southern part of the country,” Kwankwaso explained.
The 65-year-old’s comment is his first remark about Obi after speculations intensified that the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice presidential candidate was going to be Kwankwaso’s running mate.
Earlier on Monday, Obi had emerged as the flagbearer of the Labour Party after some of the contenders back out of the race.