Chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has condemned what he described as half-baked amendments to Nigeria’s electoral law and defended his party’s presidential aspirant, Dr. Rabiu kwankwaso, following allegations by the U.S. House of Representatives linking him to terrorism financing.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS, Galadima criticised the Senate’s recent position on electronic transmission of election results, saying the lawmakers
“had not made any amendment on the 2022 electoral law because they left it as it is. What they had done, they were just wise by half. And they thought that everybody is deaf, dumb and unintelligent like they are.”
He warned that partial measures would be unacceptable, adding, “Either it is electronic transfer of election results or no. The Senate cannot be wise by half. And they should be told so.”
He emphasised that Nigerians overwhelmingly support electronic transmission, arguing that “there is no single person except a beneficiary of fraud that supports manual transfer of election results.”
Galadima recalled Nigeria’s 2015 election reforms, noting the impact of the card reader: “We went through this, I was in the forefront of fighting for the use of the card reader after studying the electoral processes in Ghana under Professor Oferegan.”
He urged citizens to pressure lawmakers: “It is the duty of every Nigerian to come out and tell these people once and for all that enough is enough.”
Turning to allegations against Rabiu Kwankwaso, Galadima described them as politically motivated.
“I think that is most unfair. Most unfair to Kwankwaso, most unfair to his person and most unfair to his integrity as a peaceful Nigerian. What we see is intrigues of election 2027,” he said, rejecting claims that Kwankwaso financed terrorism.
Galadima recounted Kwankwaso’s political history in Kano, highlighting his principled governance: “Kwankwaso stood his grounds, despite the fact that Obasanjo is a Christian, that whoever wants to vote for him must also vote for Obasanjo. That costed him his re-election as governor of Kano state.”
He also stressed Kwankwaso’s protection of minority and tribal groups under Sharia law, arguing, “Kongoso was reluctant and was the last governor in Nigeria to implement Sharia law. How can anybody accuse him?”
Addressing questions about the NNPP’s political relevance following defections, Galadima insisted Kwankwaso remains influential: “If there is a free, fair election, nobody outside Kwankwaso’s camp can secure his deposit during an election. What stops Kwankwaso from springing from Kano to become president? It depends on the logistics and the hand of God.”
He concluded with a warning to the media and political actors: “Please, they should not provoke Nigerians because they believe that no Nigerian matters. We elected them our servants, not our kings.”
Boluwatife Enome
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