New Nigeria Peoples Party, on Wednesday, kicked against moves by the United States of America to blacklist Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
NNPP in its reaction to the US proposal to slam visa ban on its leader and freeze his assets on account of “severe religious freedom violations,” demanded that Kwankwaso should be cleared.
Recall that some US congressmen sponsored a bill to sanction Kwankwaso and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and Fulani Ethnic Militia for purportedly being responsible for severe religious freedom violations.
In a swift response to the reports, NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, dismissed any claim that Kwankwaso has been responsible in any way for religious freedom violations.
The party said it was curious and regrettable that Kwankwaso would be cited for what he knew nothing about.
The NNPP said, “We see this development as a contrived action against an innocent man who clearly has no relationship with religious fundamentalism in Nigeria. His record is there in the public domain, either in public office or in private life and it is advisable for people to investigate such things properly, before reaching such conclusions.
“Months before the latest development, Kwankwaso had openly reacted when President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious persecution. In a statement posted on his X handle at the time, Senator Kwankwaso cautioned against what he described as oversimplified characterisations of Nigeria’s internal challenges. Kwankwaso stated that it was important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country.
”However in a post shared on X , Rep Moore of the US Congress stated to Kwankwaso that, “Governor do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death.” This was because Kano state, under Kwankwaso’s leadership, brought the Islamic legal code into full effect, joining other northern Nigerian states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Yobe, Jigawa, and Borno.
“But is this enough to accuse Kwankwaso of severe religious freedom violations? Why were the other state governors that introduced Sharia in their states not accused as well? Is Rep Moore being fair or selective? Isn’t the US in a good relationship with Qatar and Saudi (both Sharia Countries)? Why is this coming just after our government apparently paid for a consultant in the US. Isn’t it strange that it is Kwankwaso, an opposition leader that has spoken out so many times about the insecurity under this administration that the United States now seems to be turning on?
“We recall that as governor of Kano State, Senator Kwankwaso ensured that the Boko Haram sect was wiped out of the state and his close relationships with Christian leaders in Kano and across the country attest to his credibility as a national leader and statesman.
“Even when he was pressured to introduce Sharia, he still lost his election because the predominantly Muslim voters punished him for supporting a Christian Presidential Candidate, in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Furthermore, in 2023 he ran his presidential campaign with a Christian Bishop, Bishop Isaac Idahosa as his running mate.
“These are the facts, which we think, should guide the Congress and its leaders, particularly Reps Riley Moore and Chris Smith to do a thorough investigation on the credibility of our leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso so that Justice is done to his noble name and cleared of such undue embarrassment.”
