As Nigerians count weeks to the presidential election, a former North-East zonal secretary of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) who is Kwankwoso’s strong mobiliser in Taraba state, Dr Babayo Liman has dumped the party and joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with a pledge to work for Atiku Abubakar.
Liman, while briefing journalists in Jalingo, Monday, said NNPP and its presidential candidate, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso lacked the structure and capacity to rule Nigeria.
He maintained that he defected to PDP to help Atiku Abubakar win the February 25, presidential election.
“The NNPP lacks the structure to win elections. I have seen PDP as a vehicle to deliver Nigeria of the numerous challenges facing citizens. PDP and Atiku Abubakar have a structure that can win elections.
“Atiku Abubakar was part of the Obasanjo government that recorded numerous achievements. For instance, during the PDP administration, insecurity was only in three states now is everywhere? Poverty was not this much, that’s why I am following Atiku.
READ ALSO: Kwankwaso to address SW people Tuesday on presidential ambition
“Kwankwaso has proven that he doesn’t have the capacity to address the needs and yearnings of Nigerians. If he cannot handle the internal crisis in the NNPP with only 30 executives, how can he handle Nigeria of over 200 million people?
“Even among the executives, only four of us were active, the remaining members were ghosts and we never saw them, so how can such a party win elections?” he queried.
The former NNPP chieftain said as part of tradition, it was necessary for him to inform his supporters of his defection and his next move.
When asked about when he discovered that NNPP and Kwankwaso were not the solution to Nigeria, Liman said Kwankwaso lured them into NNPP because of their popularity and support base in the region, but his inability to solve internal issues of the party was a clear indication that he was not ready to rule Nigeria.