NNPP Is A National Party:’ Kwankwaso Mocks LP As ‘Based On Ethnicity, Religion’

An audience member had asked the former Kano governor about possibly stepping down for Peter Obi of LP.

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Wednesday, belittled Labour Party (LP), alluding to it as a sectarian party “based on ethnicity and religion”.

Responding to a question about possibly stepping down for Peter Obi of LP, the former Kano State governor, who clearly found the line of questioning offensive, berated his opponent’s party, but not before taking aim at the audience member responsible.

The NNPP standard bearer said he wished the participant had not gone so far as to ask about him stepping down for Obi without any mention of either the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“You would have said ‘[step down] to work with Labour or to work with APC or PDP.’ That would have been more responsible. the former Kano governor said.

2023 Polls: Army GOC Warns Troops To Be Apolitical

He urged the troops to read the “rules of engagement and code of conduct for elections given to you by Chief of Army Staff.”

Ahead of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections, troops of the Nigerian Army have been warned to be apolitical.

The outgoing General Officer Commanding, 8 Division, Major General Uwem Bassey, gave the warning at the handover ceremony, which took place at 26 Battalion Giginya Barrack parade ground in Sokoto State.

Bassey, who is the former commander of the Joint Task Force Operation Hadarin Daji in the North-West listed his achievements to include the containment of terrorists in the region.

Noting that the command under him took over the bandits’ enclave in Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states, Bassey said troops were able to recover many weapons from terrorists during some major operations.

While charging the soldiers and officers of the command to be law-abiding and loyal to Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Constitution, the GOC said they should observe the code of conduct and rules of engagement given to them by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya.

Bassey also asked troops to support the new GOC, Major General Godwin Batkut, to ensure he succeeds in the fight against terrorists and other criminal elements in all the areas of responsibility of the division.