Presidential Declaration: Kwankwaso Woos South West With Unique Kwankwasiyya Cap

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s dressing at his presidential declaration on Wednesday may be a pointer to the way his mind is working towards the 2019 election.

Kwankwaso, who wore a conspicuously different cap from the popular Kwankwasiyya cap at the declaration that held at the Chida Hotel in Abuja, left political observers and analysts wondering what signal the former Kano State governor was trying to pass to the South West region with his appearance.

During the presidential declaration that was aired on Channels Television and which was monitored by THE WHISTLER, Kwankwaso appeared in a ‘baban riga’ wearing a Yoruba-styled cap made of ‘Aso Oke’, a hand-loomed fabric that is common among the Yoruba people of the western region of Nigeria.

Aso Oke is particularly common among the people of Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and Lagos states in the country.

But the former Kano governor at the event donned the Aso Oke cap which had the red and white colour combination of the popular Kwankwasiyya cap. His cap was tilted at the top just the way the Yorubas wear their traditional ‘Fila’ cap.

According to political observers who gave insights into Kwankwaso’s appearance, the cap is a way of wooing the South West and telling them that he is for them.

“The Senator’s appearance is a subtle overture to the South West to support his candidacy.

“It is a realization that the South West may be a battle ground that will decide which party between the PDP and APC wins the presidential election since both parties will be fielding northern candidates,” said the analyst, a PDP supporter who doesn’t want his named mentioned.

Meanwhile, the South West as of January 2018 recorded the second highest number of registered voters in the country with a total of 14, 626, 800 following the North West which recorded 18,505,984.

– Kwankwaso’s Chances in 2019 –

THE WHISTLER’s earlier analysis had indicated that Senator Kwankwaso stands a better chance of clinching the presidential primary ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) among other candidates vying for the presidency under the platform of the opposition party. Currently, other PDP presidential aspirants that Kwankwaso may battle to get the opposition party’s 2019 presidential ticket include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State and former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.

Among the presidential candidates who hail from the North, the former Kano State governor appears to be more advantaged than others as he comes from the North West which is the most populous region and which has the highest number of registered voters in the entire North as of January. Our previous analysis also indicated that Kwankwaso is the only northern politician who can defeat President Muhammadu Buhari at the pole as he is the closest candidate that wields an incredible number of followers especially in Kano State as President Buhari.

However, our analysis further revealed that the South West and South East may be a daunting upheaval for Kwankwaso to overcome at the poll given the dominance of the ruling APC in the region. So, it may therefore be a deliberate political calculation by the campaign organization of Kwankwaso that the presidential candidate should wear the Yoruba-styled cap to the event so as to persuade the South West to vote him in 2019.

It is not uncommon for political aspirants in the country to show affinity to the people in regions in which they are soliciting support; hence the former Kano governor’s gesture could be understood.

Donning the Yoruba-styled Kwankwasiyya cap could also be kwankwaso’s way of saying that he doesn’t have problem getting the North West, North East, South-South and South East to support his presidential ambition.

– My Promise To Nigerians: Kwankwaso –

Meanwhile, speaking at his presidential declaration that almost got marred after the Federal Capital Territory Authority reportedly denied him use of the Eagle Square, Kwankwaso vowed to unseat President Buhari at the 2019 presidential election.

“Today, I declare that I am going to vie for the office of President Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party,” the Senator told a mammoth crowed who cheered him as he declared his interest in the presidency.

“I stand on my honour to offer a paradigm shift in leadership. There is no gainsaying that all is not well with the polity. It is also clear that the same mindset that created and escalated the problems cannot be used in resolving the ongoing crises in our nationhood and national development,” he added.

On infrastructure, Kwankwaso said, “I intend to offer positive change. Change has again become inevitable. To live is to witness changes because change is an inseparable part of living. Come May 2019, the narrative of helplessness, buck- passing, division, poverty, insecurity, and hopelessness must change to turn to a new dawn of confidence in building a one well restructured Nigeria.

“I assure you that while I do not have the prophetic power to predict the future, we certainly have in us the ability to create the future that we want.

“On this day, as I stand before you, I offer you a value-based leadership anchored on our national ethics as outlined in Chapter 2 of Section 23 of our Constitution.

“We will provide a leadership where everybody is free and equal; where Nigerians see themselves as Nigerians first and as Ibo, Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw, Ibibio, Fulani, etc second; where citizens are self-assured and self-assertive; where they are confident and competent; where they want to do what is right no matter whose ox is gored. I want to lead a Nigeria where people are educated and exposed beyond the confines of their tribe, religion, linguistic group or place of birth.

“I want to lead a Nigeria where citizens respect their leaders, and leaders lead and forge a team to promote and protect the interest of all Nigerians.

“I want to lead a Nigeria where all are comfortable anywhere and on any positive issue can compete fairly with their peers without favour or discrimination. That is the kind of Nigeria we envision. We will abandon the failed relics of the past. We have all it takes to make Nigeria good and relevant for all,” noted the former Kano State governor.