NEW TELEGRAPH
Saturday Telegraph can authoritatively confirm that a former Kano State governor, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has opted out of the Government of National Unity proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Close aides of the former governor told our correspondent in exclusive chats that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), will not be part of the new government, citing several reasons.
This is coming just as a crisis of confidence is currently brewing within the opposition party as rival factions trade accusations over anti-party activities of members. The source also cited the involvement of personalities with corruption allegations hanging on their necks as one of the reasons it opted out.
The source, who is well embedded in the party but who also pleaded not to be named, said the NNPP has however resolved to provide the needed opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC). “We have decided not to be part of this Government of National Unity and that is official, a source within the party told our correspondent in a telephone chat.
“The terms being proposed to us by the government are not too friendly and polite,” a member of the National Working Committee of the party, said on Friday.
“We have carefully reviewed the situation on ground with regards to our relationship with the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government and we have decided not to be part of it,” the source said When asked to state what the reservations of the party were, another source close to the former governor cited what he termed, “various anti-people policies of the government.
“We have been observing all the programmes, actions and policies of this government since it came on board and we have decided that they (the actions) are clearly anti-people and are at odds with the philosophy and aspirational goals of our party.
“We have continued to see people with allegations of corruption and corrupt practices trailing them being made to play an important role in government. “This runs contrary to the ethos and philosophy of our party which is made up of decent and responsible members of the public who are public spirited and development oriented.
“Members of the NNPP are patriotic Nigerians who give back to the society and not those who take away from it,” the source added.
THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN NEW TELEGRAPH
