The Campaign Coordinator of Rabi’u Kwankwaso’s bid to become president, Olisaemeka Akumaki, has disclosed that the Kano State Governor will on Thursday formally declare his bid to contest the 2015 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Akumaki noted that the governor had concluded consultations with his associates across the country and that they had given him the nod to enter the presidential race. By the decision, Kwankwaso would be joining other members of the opposition party who plan to run for APC’s presidential ticket.
Those already in the race include former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who has since September 24 made his intention known; former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, and publisher of Leadership Newspapers, Nda Isaiah who will openly declare on October 15 and 28, respectively.
Akumaki boasted that his principal’s chances of clinching the ticket of the APC were bright not only because of his age, but also because of his experience in politics.
According to him, “Now in as much as we agree that Buhari is a man of integrity, but you will also agree with me that age is not on his side. He is 73 going to 74 years and Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar is about 70 years old. But Kwankwaso will be 58 by October 21st.
“Kwankwaso has long years of experience in politics. He has been a parliamentarian, a governor and two-time minister. When he contested governorship election in Kano state and lost, he congratulated the winner and waited for eight years before staging a come-back to defeat the incumbent. The governor is a grassroots politician and one who tries to carry his followers along in his undertakings,” he asserted.
The Campaign Coordinator further affirmed that Kwankwaso was more positioned educationally than his competitors and that the governor also has strong political structure to actualize his ambition.