The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Monday presented Edo State-born Bishop Isaac Idahosa as his running mate for the 2023 elections.
Speaking at the unveiling, which took place at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Kwankwaso noted that that he and his running mate will “heal the wounds inflicted on the country.”
Idahosa is the Presiding Bishop and Senior Pastor of the God First Ministry, Lekki Light Centre in Ajah, Lagos.
The 57-year-old archbishop-designate is a trained Automobile Engineer from Kaduna Polytechnic and has Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Theology.
During the event, Kwankwaso said Nigeria “is currently bleeding,” adding that the country needs people who can rescue it from total collapse.
He said the lack of understanding of how to govern a multi-cultural, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic country like Nigeria by the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has inflicted a severe wound on the country.
Kwankwaso said the choice of Idahosa as the vice presidential candidate of the NNPP was made after careful considerations and meticulous screening of more than 20 prospective candidates, all of whom he said were eminently qualified to run with him.
He described Idahosa as someone with an outstanding record, impeccable integrity, broad understanding of the Nigerian state and its contemporary challenges.
Kwankwaso said, “Ineptitude and lack of empathy have dealt a damaging blow on Nigerians as even arrogance and sense of entitlement has further widened the fault lines in our country, and their attitudes toward the core functions of the government are causing a dangerous escalation of insecurity, uncontrollable inflation, scandalous unemployment statistics among the collapse of the tertiary education system and the general collapse of social services.
“We live in a country where victims of insecurity are constantly being ignored while still being accused of exaggeration, lying, or both.
“We live in a country where victims of unemployment are accused of laziness, where Universities and other tertiary education Institutions are frequently being shut down for months, and our children’s future being jeopardised while leaders are busy throwing out hundreds of millions of Naira to purchase party forms.
“While searching for my running mate, we scrutinised over 20 prospective candidates, all of whom were eminently qualified to be the vice president of the country but considering the severity of the wounds that have been inflicted on the country in recent years and the necessity of healing them, given the necessary desire to carefully balance old sensibilities, sensitivities, and differences to have an all-inclusive government that will be fair, and just all Nigerians and bear in mind that the country requires competent, credible and pathetic, courageous leaders, I came to this conclusion.”
Kwankwaso added that NNPP believed that “unveiling his running mate was the first step towards putting Nigeria in the path of security, prosperity and glory, unity, sustainable development, and global prospects.”
“Idahosa is a man of impeccable integrity and credibility who clearly understands the country’s contemporary challenges. He is a full-time believer and promoter of United Nigeria. I believe we can work together with sincerity to heal the wounds inflicted on the country”, he said.
While accepting his nomination, Idahosa thanked the NNPP presidential candidate for the opportunity, saying Nigeria is a critical moment where her unity and tenacity as a people are being tested.
He said the willpower of all Nigerians would be most needed at this junction.
The Bishop called on Nigerians to come together and save the country from the clutches of incompetence.
“Let us come together and work towards healing our country. We must endeavor to face the challenges of the moment, rise together and work together to build the Nigeria of our dreams”, he said.
The National Chairman of the NNPP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said the team would rescue Nigeria from its present challenges.
While calling for support for the party’s candidates, Alkali commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for its renewed commitment to ensuring that every vote counts.
“We are proud to say we have a dream and formidable team that is well rooted. The team has the sagacity and managerial skills to steer the affairs of our great nation. Our party is deeply committed to rebuilding friendship and fraternity.
“We condemned the recent trend of vote buying rearing its ugly head across Nigeria. We want Nigeria to be vigilant so that desperate politicians do not destroy our collective gains,” he stated.
