Former Minister of Defence and Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 Presidential election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has said that Nigeria has all the required manpower and resources to end the current insecurity in the country.
Speaking in Abuja during the Mini National Convention of the NNPP, Senator Kwankwaso said that if well equipped, the nation’s military can nip in the bud, the present security challenges confronting the country.
Kwankwaso noted that against the backdrop of happenings in the country, there were strong indications that the country was in serious need of change in the style of leadership as both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC have both failed the nation.
The former Kano Governor said “We have taken note of the challenges of the day because in many states, especially in northern Nigeria, our children are not going to schools now because of insecurity, because of poverty and so on. By implication, we are saying we will do whatever it takes to ensure security and to ensure that poverty is eradicated.
“We have all what it takes to do that, so that education can flourish, so that every child from primary to tertiary will go to school in this country.
“This party, is one of the major hopes that this country is having today. We are all aware that PDP has completely failed. Many of us decided in 2014, 2015 to bring in some positive changes.
“Unfortunately, we have seen what happened from 2015 to date. There is the same APC government. Therefore, as far as we are concerned, we have a failing party that is the APC. And we believe that this country requires an alternative to APC and of course, PDP and the only party, in my opinion, and based on facts, because NNPP today is the fastest growing party in this country.
“In many parts of this country, especially in northern Nigeria, particularly in my own part of the north, so many people have been chased out of their homes, so many have been killed. Some are in the bushes and in the forest under the care of bandits and other criminals.
“It looks like many people don’t care. It is even becoming a normal thing to go and beat people in their homes, on the roads, in the markets and so on. I believe it is only in this country that this sort of nonsense is happening.
“It is the responsibility of every responsible government to ensure peace of its people. As a former minister of defence and a former chief security officer, for eight years, I believe that we have adequate resources, we have enough manpower, we have all what it takes to protect Nigerians and peace in this country.”
On the challenges in the party, Kwankwaso said “before we came into this party, it’s very difficult to remember anybody who knew this party. Today, despite all the challenges that we had in 2023 election, we have moved on as a strong United party”.
He assured of consensus building and internal democracy in the party saying all our members will continue to have internal democracy within the party and everybody will be given an opportunity to attain his or her position.
Earlier in his remarks, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed said the current challenge facing the nation were imposed by several years of mishandling of the affairs of the country, through unprecedented corruption, mismanagement and continued “un-governance”.
The Chairman who urged all men and women of conscience and patriotism to join the party in the onerous task of averting a looming disaster and bring back this country from the edge of catastrophe, said, “the NNPP is not a Political Party owned by another entity; it is not a Political Party owned by any individual. NNPP is not owned by anything called NAGAFF or any other association; it is not owned by Kwankwasiyya, it is not a Party owned by Kwankwaso or anyone else.
