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Presidential candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Sunday in Lagos, said he will not step down for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for the forthcoming presidential election, dismissing the reports being circulated around in the media.
Kwankwaso made this known while speaking at a meeting with the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), which took place at Ikeja area of the state, just as the former governor of Kano State acknowledged that there was the need to renegotiate Nigeria’s huge debt with the view of moving the country forward.
“We have to sit down in negotiations and whatever it is, we have to have fresh air so that we can even pay them. These are things I believe that are necessary to do whatever we can to handle the debt issues,” he said.
Besides, the NNPP standard bearer called for contributions from various stakeholders in the country on several issues ranging from education, agriculture, oil and gas, as well as insecurity, assuring that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) moved forward by ensuring that the oil and gas industry was better managed “for the interest of each and everyone us.”
The NNPP chieftain said his ideology and experience, which can be traced back to when he was governor in Kano State, were different from those of his opponents in the race for the No 1 seat in the country.
Kwankwaso further said that his journey in governance, dating back from when he was employed as an artisan till date, had taught him how to manage public resources, adding that such remained a huge distinguishing factor separating him from others.
“Of course, we are happy that it is now a law to make sure that the NNPC is moved forward and we are very committed to involving the private sector in this country.
“We will support the Bill and do whatever it takes to make sure that the oil and gas industry is better for the interest of each and everyone us,” he said.
On constitution review, the former Kano governor said his government would be open to the yearnings of the people, adding: “We will be very happy to follow our process to get it done.”
“But the fact remain that from my own experience in the last two decades; the problem has not mainly be that of constitution but the operators, which we believe by 2023 we will have the right people to handle the Constitution,” he added further.
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Speaking on his approach to addressing insecurity ravaging the country, which he agreed had hindered the economic development in the land, Kwankwaso disclosed that more personnel needed to be employed to curb the menace, while more resources would equally be deployed.
According to him, about one million of policemen and one million military men will be recruited “to help solve the insecurity issues,” just as he sadly noted that the employment challenges facing the country currently could be traced to security challenges on ground.
Delivering his opening address, the President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Mustapha Isah, said the forum was designed to provide the candidates an opportunity to address editors about their policies and programmes ahead of the elections.
According to him, editors will also use the Forum to seek clarifications on different issues and ask critical questions on national issues which concern the common man, just as he noted that Nigerians, including the youth were agitates to know what plans the candidates for elections have for them if elected as president of this great country.
This was just as Isah used the occasion to urge the presidential candidates on various party platforms to call their spokespersons to order, saying some of their press statements and interviews were heating up the polity.
“Let me use this opportunity to urge the presidential candidates to call their spokespersons to order. Some of their press statements and interviews are heating up the polity. Maybe, they should be made to sign a peace accord as well, just as the presidential candidates did in Abuja recently.
“We noticed that the candidates themselves hardly attack one another. They exchange pleasantries whenever and wherever they meet. This is maturity. Their spokespersons should learn from them. To my colleagues, you are not bound to use any toxic press statement sent to you,” he said.
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