President Muhammadu Buhari has come under fire for not doing enough to ensure free, fair, and credible elections, according to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) presidential candidate in the recently concluded presidential and National Assembly elections held on Saturday, February 25.
According to Kwakwanso, the results of the presidential election never really represented the preferences of Nigerians because of the extent of alleged vote-buying, the use of guns to frighten the populace, and the number of irregularities that were observed.
But, he has pleaded with the judiciary to always stay as the last refuge of the ordinary man and to avoid a repetition of the number four person becoming number one thanks to the Supreme Court, expressing concerns that it may now be a different ball game.
He spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the National Executive Council of the party’s first gathering following the 2023 elections (NEC).
The ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was accused of rigging various states’ general elections, particularly the presidential election, by the former governor and senator of Kano State.
He only stated that “the minds of Nigerians are not reflected” in the election.
According to him, with the performance of the NNPP in spite of the late entrance into the political scene, almost a year old, it is a party for the future against the backdrop that many Nigerians are ready to join the NNPP ahead of 2027, even as he lamented that Nigerians were not allowed to enjoy the “positive change” they were looking for.
Consequently, Kwankwaso, who doubles as the National Leader of the party, urged the leadership of the NNPP to use the opportunity provided before the next round of election in 2027 in “to tighten their belts, go back to constituency and work more better.
“We have four years to reposition the party to deliver positive change to Nigerians.
“We joined this party barely one year old, the performance we have seen, I believe we should all congratulate ourselves.
“We have done well and what is even more important is that almost everybody now believes that NNPP is party for the future.
“Immediately after this election, some people visited me to say that now we have seen the light and before 2027, they are going to join our party.
“The challenge of the time is very critical, because this is the first time in the history of this country where we have a party, especially after the establishment of the two parties across the country, that within the shortest possible time, had this kind of popularity based on the integrity and hardwork and commitment to this country.
“I believe it is time we congratulate ourselves and also tighten out seatbelt to go back to our constituencies and work much harder.
