The Senator representing Kano-Central in the National Assembly, Rabiu Kwankwaso, says he is confident that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections.
Speaking on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, he explained that the party’s chance of victory is high based on the number of aspirants in the presidential race compared to that of 2015.
He said, “In 2015, PDP had only one candidate and it lost the election. If you look at it statistically, from 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011, PDP had very competitive (aspirants) at primary elections and was winning the general elections in those election years. But in 2015, it decided to print only one form for one person and it lost the election”.
Kwankwanso who is also a presidential aspirant in the PDP blamed his party’s defeat in the 2015 general elections on impunity.
According to him, it was for that reason that many of its members defected to the then opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
He, however, explained that the party has learnt its lessons the hard way and is better prepared for next year’s general elections.
“PDP, in my opinion, learnt its lessons. In 2015, PDP was very arrogant and believed that whatever happens, they would win the elections.
“They never thought that an incumbent could lose the election. They had at that time, some level of impunity that many of us felt that was not the best way to handle the government, the party and of course the country.
“That was why we decided to defect to the APC, mobilised the people and at the end of the day, we won the election,” he said.
The former Kano State Governor is optimistic that whoever emerges as the PDP’s presidential candidate would get the support of other aspirants to wrest power from the APC next year.
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