TheCable

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has taken a swipe at Peter Obi, the standard-bearer of the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking at Chatham House in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, Kwankwaso said he is more qualified than Obi to become the next president of Nigeria.

The NNPP candidate also said he withdrew from the discussion of alliance with the LP because the party was “carried away by media hype” and built on “ethnicity and religion”.

Citing his qualifications, the former governor of Kano said he is ready for a discussion with any presidential candidate who has better qualifications than him.

“I’m a PhD holder in civil engineering. I check your candidate for what he has. I have been in the system for over 30 years now. I was a civil servant for 17 years. I wasn’t a trader,” he said.

“I was deputy speaker of the house in 1992; I was in the constitutional conference elected delegates. I was governor of Kano state for eight years. I was in the senate. If anyone wants Kwankwaso to withdraw, let’s bring criteria and select the best.

“Anytime I have a better candidate, I’m ready to talk to him. If you have a party which is based on ethnicity and religion — that is the difference between the Labour Party and our party, which is a national party.”