APC ticket: Insecurity, corruption my top priority – Kwankwaso

By Ali Abare Abubakar and Umar Muhammad Puma

The Governor of Kano state, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has said his first priority if elected as president is to restore peace and security in every corner of the land and to see to the protection of lives and property.

The Kano State governor also said his second agenda would be to tackle corruption which he described as a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of the country’s values system.

Kwankwaso who announced his bid to run for president under the platform of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he will protect and secure the country from Boko Haram and all forms of insurgency.

“We cannot afford to live in denial. Insecurity is escalating at an alarming rate. Little wonder rag-tag insurgents are taking over cities and towns in the Northeast. My experiences as Nigeria’s Defence Minister and as Special Adviser on war-torn Darfur and Somalia have shown me that securing a nation and fighting and defeating armed insurgents is only achievable if the forces are professionally mobilized, properly kitted and equipped, highly spirited, and correctly armed with intelligence and munitions” he declared.

Kwankwaso’s declaration was made at a rally in Abuja, where he put tackling insecurity, endemic corruption, boosting economic growth and improving equality as his major priority if elected as president.

“I’m offering myself and soliciting the support of Nigerians to join me on this difficult journey to reclaim our country from the clutches of incompetency, destruction and tie it to the pedestal of peace and progress,” he said.

“Mr Chairman and fellow APC members, the call to save our dear country have never been louder, clearer and more unambiguous than now. Every facet of our national life is deteriorating: governance has been reduced to mediocrity; incompetence and impunity. I have no doubt in my mind that this journey is difficult and arduous. I’m under no illusion about the enormity of the challenge.

“We are sadly on our knees looking for aid and cooperation from our neighbours and the international community to preserve our territorial integrity and wellbeing. An APC administration under my stewardship will as a matter of priority overhaul our foreign policy initiative and harvest the dividends of our interventions in the economy, security and other critical areas highlighted in this address, to revamp the image of Nigeria and place our country in its right position as the giant of Africa and a key global player in international relations” Kwankwaso stated.

Kwankwaso, will battle to win the APC primary due in early December, with both former head of state, Gen Buhari and the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who enjoys huge political followings across the country.

Kwankwaso, who defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC last year, is a former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Defence Minister. He also served as Nigeria’s envoy to the restive Darfur region of Sudan and war-torn Somalia under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The events which took place at the Old Parade ground was attended by APC governors including Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers state, Raji Fashola of Lagos, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state as the deputy governors of Borno, Edo and Yobe states, while Governor Umaru Tanko Al-makura of Nasarawa State was represented by his commissioner.