Idahosa, NNPP vice presidential candidate, said: “Those who claim Kwankwaso and I lack the organization to win are in for a shock.”

Ibekimi Oriamaja Report

Given that Bishop Isaac Idahosa is not a politician, many people were shocked by his selection as Rabiu Kwakwanso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, running mate. What factors could have influenced the choice of this well-known religious figure? What kind of political system does he employ? Following this emergence, many people had these questions. The virulent cleric, who has served as a preacher for 33 years, reacts to the questions in this interview, which was held at his VGC residence in Lagos. Additionally, he endorses the Kwankwaso-Idahosa platform’s vision, emphasizing their plans to resolve Nigeria’s dire existential issue.

Given that you are a cleric, it came as a surprise when you were announced as Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso’s running mate for president by the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNP. Were you taken aback when a staunch politician was chosen to run alongside you?

I was taken aback because that wasn’t what I was expecting. I anticipate a new Nigeria. However, Senator Rabiu Kwakwansi and I have a long-standing friendship. I appreciate his management style. He had visited our church on a few occasions. We always discuss our goals and difficulties. I didn’t anticipate this.

Why I choose Idahosa as my running companion, Kwankwaso

Only if I was free did he invite me to fly into Kano for the Sallah celebrations. On a Saturday, that is. I replied that it couldn’t be done because Sunday was the following day. I complied with his request to travel to Kano and join them in celebrating Sallah following my Sunday service. On Sunday afternoon, I arrived in Kano by plane.

He requested me to meet the audience when I got there because there was one, so I did. He requested that I hunt for a running buddy for him in the South at midnight.

Did he provide details about the kind of running buddy he was looking for?

I got on the phone with some spiritual fathers and asked them to help me find him a running buddy. It happened on a Sunday and INEC’s portal closure date was on Friday. Nothing had been forthcoming as of Monday.

I then called a few religious leaders. They obtained one or two but time was too short for them to consult. He requested that I fly from Kano to Abuja on Tuesday. He also inquired about the task he given me, namely, finding a running buddy.

I claimed that since there was no time for consultations, obtaining one was rather challenging. I told him that although I had called a few religious leaders, everyone else I had reached was already mired in political obligations. And the due date was coming quite soon. He invited me to meet the screening committee on Wednesday so we could discuss some ideas.

When I entered the screening room, Elder Buba Galadima and other others were seated there. I was shocked when they welcomed me to the screening. I stated that I didn’t realize I was going to be screened when I arrived and believed I was going to join them.

I was chosen from the 20 applicants for the position in this manner. It wasn’t because they told me about it beforehand. When they requested my Curriculum Vitae, or CV, I remarked that I hadn’t been there specifically to look for work. They chuckled and advised me to return to Lagos to pick up my CV.

I returned to Lagos and sent them my resume. On Wednesday of that week, I first noticed on social media that I had been selected as Kwankwaso’s running mate. When I called Kwankwaso to tell him what I had been viewing online, he said it was nothing.

But at midday the following day, I began to receive calls from folks wishing me well. The following day, at around 2:00 pm, Senator Kwankwaso called and addressed me for the first time as “His Excellency.” I was taken aback because he usually refers to me as Bishop. Congrats, His Excellency, you are my running companion, he said.
I immediately went to pray about it and found peace. He, Kwankwaso, called my wife as well, and I spoke with her.

Would you have agreed if you had more time to discuss with family and friends if it hadn’t happened that way?

The peace factor should come first. Anything that might compromise your peace would be too costly. You need to pray. Idahosa, the name I go by, means to hear from God. I need to pray about it, and then I’m good to go if there is peace.

Have you ever collaborated with Kwankwanso on matters of societal importance before being chosen?

We regularly talk about important national topics and concepts. He values my opinions and my vision for Nigeria. We discuss opportunities and difficulties. That has been going on for a long time. We have the same goals in mind for the nation.

I wouldn’t have agreed if the situation had been reversed. According to the Bible, two cannot cooperate unless they are in agreement. He is a brave, selfless, accessible, daring, sensitive, and sensitive individual. He is passionate about helping the talakawa impoverished.

His track record of service has been revolutionary. He had some prior experience, after all. He has previously been there. He has worked for the government. In the defunct Third Republic, he served as the deputy speaker of the house of representatives. He served as governor twice, was a senator, ambassador, and minister of defense.

This makes it clear that he is the one Nigeria needs right now.

The entire nation had anticipated a coalition between the Obi camp and the Kwankwaso side, but you appeared out of nowhere.

My appearance proves that God is active. It implies that when heaven runs your campaign, your adversaries will support you. It denotes that it is high time that Nigeria’s prayers were heard. Kwankwaso has a strong commitment to education. He has awarded thousands of students with scholarships. Engineers, surgeons, and pilots are among the professions represented.

Right now, Kwankwaso is the man. God wants to astonish Nigeria with an administration free of cowardice and corruption. Instances of federal character violations and nepotism will result in unfairness.

Men like Kwankwaso and I are needed in places where the welfare of the military forces is subpar, there is no accountability, and everything goes. Consider a scenario where intelligence reports are not treated with the respect they merit.

Our memories of the Kuje case are quite recent. We intend to create a united Nigeria from scratch. There is currently discord and hopelessness. We are bringing reconciliation to strengthen this nation. People who are given responsibilities will be held accountable to the general public, we will assure.

By assuring effective resource management, we will make sure to stop leaks. Productivity is currently at its lowest point. To maintain our prosperity, we will teach them social skills. After we keep our wealth, a lot of things will occur.

Our money doesn’t need to leave the country. By fostering an environment where we can appreciate our varied cultures, tribes, and beliefs, we are coming with hope. By the help of God, we will more than double the size of our military forces in order to address instability. The police will have all they need to operate effectively in a contemporary state. We think we’re in it to win it.

Capacity, character, courage, honesty, and other traits of leadership are necessary for the vice presidential position. Tell us about your strength besides the optics of being a well-known religious leader.

I have 33 years of experience as a pastor. We pastor presidents, other prominent politicians, and members of many sectors in the church. They also cut across Nigeria’s diverse tribes. The Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other peoples are here.

Preaching requires anointing, but developing human capital demands a lot of expertise and human management. And that’s exactly what we’ll be doing. How long have you been in politics, they ask me.

33 years of overseeing a sizable church is not an easy undertaking. I’m not referring to a tiny congregation or church. We are introducing the system with the knowledge that has assisted us in creating strong and successful churches all around the world. Politics is about controlling people.

It entails enhancing Nigerians’ powers and abilities. It aims to make Nigeria better than it is at the moment. Therefore, we are coming with that ability, that courage, and that powerful political will to make sure that ours is a country that can be governed and not one where there is injustice, a lack of equity, and a lack of fairness. We are bringing these items with us. The ability to complete the task is present.

What freshness are you bringing to the ticket given that Kwankwaso is bringing a plethora of expertise from the public sector?

The first thing we shall do is to unite the nation. For development to occur, a country must first exist. The nation will be unified by us. How can there be growth if there is discord and mistrust? Nowadays, nobody can be trusted. Because of unfairness, there is no longer a trust element. What we are bringing is that.

It would hold if God were at the center of it. As I already mentioned, I’ve been a pastor for 33 years. Being able to pastor a president and having been there shouldn’t be viewed as not adding something new to the ticket.

In the North, I was born. I’m an Edo State native. I’ve been a resident in Lagos since 1993. The basis of intelligence is fear of God. Everything will become chaotic if we remove the influence of God. Therefore, a godly leader will be answerable to both God and people. He picked me out of a large group of people in his wisdom. Those who claim it is not possible now will tomorrow say congrats in due time.

In this region of the world, you need organization to win an election. And one of the criticisms leveled towards your principle is that, with the exception of Kano and a few northern states, he lacks the kind of organization that can ensure electoral success. The majority views you as lacking in political base and organization.

A surprise is about to be delivered to Nigerians and those who raise these questions. Strength cannot compete with strategy. It is dangerous to restrict the Kwankwasiya Movement to Kano. It moves quickly.

You make extra pathways for a flood in an effort to stop it. We have gained ground in other states. NNPP has been operating there for nearly 20 years, but we intervened and made changes. We now have buildings all around the nation.

We were able to work together effectively with several states and stakeholders within a short period of time. I wouldn’t be able to mention some things here. Let’s wait for a surprise, but let’s not use their presumptions to criticize us. To make sure we are in Aso Rock on May 29, 2023, we are working day and night.

What do you think good government in Nigeria should look like?

The goal of governance is to make life better. And any government is a failed government if it does not make life better for its citizens. There have been policies; the issue is whether there is political will to implement them. You are in office to serve as an example. – setting a good example.

Even if you know everything, you will still come across as the same kind of leader. We’re entering politics to set an example for others. And we are taking office to make sure that Nigeria returns to its illustrious past. A fresh start is welcome, even though it won’t happen right now.
We are not in a better position now. In comparison to now, we were better. However, our goal is not to assign blame. We want to change the educational curriculum, eliminate insecurity, and other issues.

Kwankwaso made education a top priority while serving as governor of Kano by constructing more schools there.

What do you see as Nigeria’s main difficulty in your capacity as a vice presidential candidate?

The main issue we face is education. The key to solving our problems is education. Darkness covered the earth in the first chapter of Genesis, and chaos reigned everywhere. God made everything out of his own delight.

Because the world had no form or shape, there soon emerged chaos. God first proposed a remedy by declaring, “Let there be light,” rather than taking into account the darkness that covered the earth. When people are educated, many of the things they do become unacceptable. The mess in Nigeria is a result of a lack of education. Because of this, there is instability, banditry, terrorism, and all kind of criminal activity.

It transcends when a man is educated. He no longer sees things the way he would have without education. Dark minds, however, are limited in their capacity for reasoning and can not understand why you act the way you do. Education will reduce corruption because it would help people understand the damage that it causes to the country. Insecurity will decrease with education. Why plunder your country? You want to kill, why? Education will prevent infrastructure from crumbling.

The people perish when there is no vision. As a result, we are improving the system’s clarity. Education does not necessarily require a doctorate. On how to be a better citizen, a mechanic might receive education. But today’s Nigerian society lacks such education.

If we value education as much as we do, there won’t be a need for ASSU to go on strike for more than a year. The government, parents, and educators can all speak with one another. The ASUU will never trust the government because of this mistrust. Light is therefore essential for resolving our issues. It will reduce unemployment, insecurity, and other things.

People won’t want to cause trouble if they are gainfully occupied. The difficulties in the healthcare industry will be reduced by education. Medical tourism won’t be a problem any longer with education. Education is a big factor in many things.

Regardless of the connection you made between education and Nigeria’s difficulties, insecurity and a weak economy are currently Nigeria’s biggest problems. Is it the same education you intend to apply to resolving the issue?

Everyone you plan to discuss it with needs to see what you see. Unrest in Nigeria is being caused by individuals for specific causes. They will therefore continue acting in the same way if they don’t notice what you do. Education is the answer to everything. Going to school by yourself is not the only issue.

The key to solving an issue is educating people so they can see what you see. A gunman who has received education will be aware that discussion can resolve the issue instead of using a gun. To follow, they must see what you see. People are taking up arms as a result of the mutual mistrust.

They will, however, grasp what you are attempting to say or do if you sit down and talk to them. Light plays a crucial role. Light allows you to hold people accountable and propose solutions to problems like insecurity, corruption, contract inflation, and resource misuse. A billionaire looter is not educated. Greed is an ignorant conduct.

Sincerity leaves the richest legacy. We need to be truthful with ourselves. Educated are we? not in a traditional classroom setting. Have we covered everything? Has enough been had? Have we met our obligations? Who has so far been charged with the Kuje jailbreak?

The key is light. You have fulfilled your responsibility as a parent when you educate a child. By acting morally, the child will navigate life on his own. A driver who has received education doesn’t drive against the flow of traffic. He’ll adhere to the laws of the road. People act morally when they are educated. When we travel to London and America, we don’t do what we do here since those countries are actually governed by laws.

When I visited Jamaica in 1994, I came upon a signage that read, “We are not just in Jamaica, we are for Jamaica.” That is patriotic education. People won’t be fleeing the country in droves if our leaders have the wisdom to keep our intellectuals.

Without light, it is impossible to evaluate anything.

Given that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is running a Muslim-Muslim ticket, religion has become a significant topic in this election. What do you think of the claim that a candidate’s and his running mate’s faith doesn’t matter, as a well-known religious figure?

They have chosen what they will do. I am not a member of the APC. We have decided what to do. It is up to Nigerians to vote according to their moral convictions. The least of my concerns is what APC is or has done.

A balance is represented by my ticket. I’m not sure what led them to that conclusion. We have the option of selecting a Muslim-Christian ticket in this location.

Are you alarmed by the Obedient Movement’s apparent dominance of other movements in terms of popularity and pre-election presence?

Everyone has the right to do anything they wish. We can only wish everyone the best, and we hope Nigeria experiences the best. But winning is our goal in this race. So be it if they are saying “Obedient.”

The NNPP is in favor of a brand-new Nigeria. And there is reason for optimism. Nigeria is changing, and I think it will happen soon. Our party is not divided by sections. We are a party run by Nigerians for Nigerians. It encompasses everybody.

We will embrace this nation’s diversity the day we stop thinking narrowly. We need balance and what makes an improvement. Peace will return the day we elect leaders who will uphold equity, fairness, and justice. That’s what Kwankwaso and I propose, too.

Kwankwaso won’t be able to gain work experience. He is a man with experience. He is a man who respects ethnicity, culture, and religion. Kano is a little version of Nigeria. And he has aided many in their ascent. We are in this race to win, to reiterate.

Nigeria can be peaceful, and we are working to make it so.