Don't tell anyone, but senator is running for president in 2019
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Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is running for president in 2019. We just can't keep this secret to ourselves any longer.

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso 61st Birthday Cocktail Party (Pulse)
When Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso stepped into the Oriental Hotel in Lagos on Saturday, October 21, 2017, the entire place sprang into life.
He was making an appearance exactly how he had wanted to. This was all part of the script.

He had a handful of senators and House of Rep members behind him. He was making a statement without saying very much.


He was late for his own 61st birthday party but it was okay. In Nigeria, politicians and public officials often turn up late at ceremonies because it’s written somewhere in the ‘big man’ manual to show up way behind schedule for an event.

Kwankwaso answered a question or two from the media and made sure to personally greet and shake everyone who had lined up on the way to his seat. The event had been labelled as a ‘non-political gathering’ for the non-discerning.

As events unfolded, it soon became clear that the former Kano State Governor is beginning to set out his stall for another presidential run in 2019.

“Of course he’s running again”, one of the organisers of this red cap birthday party whispered to Pulse. “It’s why we put this together, but of course it’s not time to declare yet”.

The event itself was well attended but poorly publicized on purpose.

Kwankwaso made the red cap Kwankwasiyya movement popular in Kano during his second stint as Governor. From all indications, the Kwankwasiyya movement is beginning to seize the Southwest as well for obvious reasons. Almost everyone had a white agbada and red cap on—totems of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

“We’ve been given a target of one person converting 1,000 persons into Kwankwaso devotees ahead of the 2019 campaigns”, one banker told Pulse over juice and Kolanuts. “He’s still young by Nigerian standards. He’s just 61 this year and he’ll make a good president”.

As the event panned out, speaker after speaker stopped short of endorsing Kwankwaso for president. No one mentioned the words ‘president’ or ‘2019 campaigns’—not even Kwankwaso himself—but when the senators and Reps neared the end of their speeches, you could tell that’s why they all flew from Abuja to make their colleague’s cocktail birthday party.

A man of few words, Kwankwaso spoke for less than five minutes and then the cake cutting followed. It was a giant cake as well. More wine, more small chops and plenty of music from a live band.

Kwankwaso contested the APC presidential primary and polled second behind candidate Buhari in Lagos in 2014. The APC has just announced that anyone can contest the presidency on its platform and that President Muhammadu Buhari won’t be handed an automatic ticket should he consider a re-election.

Like you already know, the 2019 presidency has been zoned to the north of Nigeria by the two biggest political parties in the land. Meaning that Kwankwaso is in with a fighting chance.

Mynd44:
Finally, a serious contender

QueenOfNepal:
You call a known bigot a serious contender because he did his birthday in SW? Are you not tired of supporting people with divisive characters?


You speak ill of Atiku but embrace Kwankwaso whose only source of wealth was him being a former governor.



I can see you are being paid by Obj goons but you will lose out now

OfficialAwol:
Unlike the claimed deification of Buhari in d north, insiders exclusively told of how the northern delegates voted overwhelmingly for Kwankwaso which made him come second. Buhari only won through the help of Tunibu who made sure the southern votes were secured for Buhari.

My point is simple....Buhari may not be the god they claim he is in the north after all.

Anything but Buhari.

Mynd44:

You seem to take being tagged as a serious candidate for support. I called him serious because he has the followership to cause an headache for President Buhari in the NW states of Kano, Kaduna and Kastina seeing that the President will win the NE states conveniently.

Mynd44:

You seem to take being tagged as a serious candidate for support. I called him serious because he has the followership to cause an headache for President Buhari in the NW states of Kano, Kaduna and Kastina seeing that the President will win the NE states conveniently.

Oh as for Atiku, he cant get the numbers. He can't win the NE, he will lose the NW which means even if he gets the SE/SS, he might need to work some huge numbers due to the growing apathy in the SE.

Lastly, I think Kwankwaso is best a senator and a representative of the Hausa people. If Nigeria is ran by regions, he will make the perfect NW governor. He always has their interest and only their interest at heart, a president though he is not even though he remains a strong contender

QueenOfNepal:
If his votes will divide buhari votes in the NE then an Atiku can take advantage of that split votes to get the presidency then we are in for better days.



Our problem is not corruption but having divisive leaders that alienate sections of the country and so throw in violence everywhere. Obj was the most corrupt leader but he made sure he did politics of inclusiveness

QueenOfNepal:
The beautiful bride in the North is the North Central because the NE and NW will be battle royale for Kwankwaso, Atiku and Buhari. The SW will be brought in if Atiku reaches an agreement with Tinubu which will means the whole SW marching in unison for Atiku.

FarahAideed:


Kwankwaso is worse than Buhari when it comes to stupidity and Nepotism

QueenOfNepal:
The SW will be brought in if Atiku reaches an agreement with Tinubu which will means the whole SW marching in unison for Atiku.

Mynd44:

There will be no battle in the NE. President Buhari is going to win the NE. Calculating that there will be a split there will be the biggest mistake ever.

As for the NW, only Kwankwaso can cause a stir there but what are the chances that he will contest? Had to say.

You said Atiku should bring in Tinubu to win the SW? Dont be funny. It wont happen

The NC has always been known to go with the NW most of the times.

DeLaRue:


I don't see the 'whole SW' marching in unison for Atiku.

Atiku will probably struggle to gain momentum in the SW. His public standing seem rather low here.

I could be wrong.

QueenOfNepal:
Don't think that the people are not tired of the hunger in the land. The NE voters will be swayed by their governors to dump buhari. Buhari Presidency demystified the Sacredness of buhari so don't ascribe a god status to him again.



Kwankwaso will surely contest and he will fight for votes with Atiku and buhari in NW.


The North Central really bear the brunt of Fulani herdsmen and we not be Willing to fall for buhari lies again. They will vote for a more secular leader in Atiku that the other two and
yyou can't wish away the Saraki factor in Kwara and Kogi which will be gifted to Atiku.



The SW will follow Tinubu again and the crystal ball is telling
me that Tinubu will rather work with an Atiku whom he sees as a moderate and a businessman that he can do good bargain with

Mynd44:

The Whole SW marching for Atiku? The whole SW wont march for one candidate; anyone that wins the SW will not win more than 60%

DeLaRue:


I don't see the 'whole SW' marching in unison for Atiku. Even Awolowo had tangible opposition votes against him.

Atiku will probably struggle to gain momentum in the SW. His public standing seem rather low here.

I could be wrong.

Mynd44:

The biggest issue for the NE is boko haram. That is enough. No governor will sway the votes there.

Kwakwanso did not contest in 2015, he read the lines. Dont think he will (he might but I doubt it).

The NC will be a battle ground. 60-40 too. It is up for grabs

Saraki only has Kwara. He does not have ish in Kogi, heck Dino Melaye cant return to the senate sef.

The SW will follow Tinubu, who told you so?
Who told you Tinubu even cares about Atiku?
Who told you the SW will follow Tinubu to support Atiku?
This feels like 2015 all again. You guys dont understand SW politics at all.

Oh please, ask Atiku to take a oicture of him in New York first

QueenOfNepal:
Lagos will have a split vote but Buhari can Never win Lagos again


Ekiti is under the Fayose machine just as Mimiko, Aketi and Tinubu will slug it in Ondo.


Ogun state will vote like Lagos and buhari will be a hard sell with Obj still writing another dossier against him

Mynd44:

Atiku will crash and burn in the SW. They see him as corrupt and wont touch him but then again, he has money to spend and people will collect their share

QueenOfNepal:
The only peeson that sells that shit is Obj who is a feather weight in SW politics. The only alignment Atiku needs in SW is Tinubu and
the region is his for the taking.



SStop making the SW look like the region that stones it's corrupt leaders when we know that they only repackage you to become a Saint