The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso claims that the LP’s Peter Obi is being given “a golden opportunity” to serve as his running mate.

On Saturday, Kwankwaso held a press conference with journalists after officially opening the NNPP’s state office in Gombe state.

The presidential contender predicted that the NNPP will disintegrate if he was chosen as Obi’s running partner.

He says that if the LP candidate is not his running companion in 2023, the southeast will lose a significant opportunity.

“From the discussion with the Labour Party, the main issue was who becomes the president if the parties merge,” Premium Times quoted him as saying.

“At the end of the day, some of our representatives thought that there should be a criteria in terms of age, qualification, offices held, performance and so on,” the NNPP candidate said.

“Of course the other side wouldn’t want that. Most of the people from there believe that the presidency has to go there. If I decide to be a vice presidential candidate for anybody in this country; NNPP will collapse, because the party is based on what we have built in the last 30 years.

“I served for 17 years as a civil servant; we are talking of 47 years of very serious hard work that is what is rarely holding NNPP now.

“Even if my friend [Peter Obi] wants to accept the vice presidential candidate, some people in the south-east will not accept, that is not strategic.

“This is a golden opportunity, if they lose it, it will be a disaster.”