Kwankwaso Criticizes Regional Leaders for Undermining Democracy and Fielding Incompetent Candidates
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, criticized the interference of regional leaders in the political process, alleging that their actions were undermining democracy and fostering disunity. He claimed that this practice often results in the selection of incompetent candidates during elections, to the detriment of the people.
Kwankwaso stressed the importance of regional leaders learning from past electoral experiences and refraining from influencing candidate selection processes. He accused them of promoting selfish motives rather than focusing on the greater good.
“This wicked practice they’re doing is causing discord among people,” Kwankwaso said. “It is important to always have good intentions in whatever you do. It is unfortunate that these elders—some of whom are our parents—are being driven by selfish motives in fielding candidates.”
The former governor lamented that these leaders often collude to fabricate falsehoods, gather people together, and falsely claim to represent the region’s collective endorsement of candidates. According to him, these decisions are typically made by just two or three individuals, not in consultation with the broader population.
Instead of representing the interests of their people in places like Port Harcourt or Abuja, Kwankwaso argued, these leaders are instead driven by their personal interests.
Kwankwaso specifically referenced the 2019 general elections, where the Northwest region produced seven presidential candidates, including former governors and ministers, among others. He expressed concern that, despite the wide range of candidates, the decisions ultimately made were more aligned with the interests of the few, rather than considering the needs and aspirations of the people.
“We have all manner of people — former governors, former ministers, tall, short — but in the end, they did what suited them without considering our interests,” Kwankwaso said.
