Politics
I Didn’t Plan To Be Kwankwaso’s Running Mate – Idahosa

The vice-presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Bishop Isaac Idahosa, has said it was not part of his plans to be on a joint ticket with Rabiu Kwankwaso, the party’s standard bearer.
Narrating how he was selected, Idahosa, during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, said he didn’t bid for the position.
He explained that he initially helped Kwankwaso search for a running mate, after the party’s presidential candidate insisted he wanted to fly the party’s flag with a politician from South-South.
In his narration, Idahosa said Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, opened up to him about the need for a running mate from the South-South and solicited his assistance, leading the cleric to enlist the help of some “fathers of faith.”
According to Idahosa, the religious leaders asked him to “name whomever” and he proceeded to make suggestions. He however noted that the search on that Monday ended to no avail.
“The only one we got said he had limited time to be able to go and seek for counsel about that. That was Tuesday already. So, he (Kwankwaso) said on Wednesday, I should come to his house at Maitama (Abuja) so I can join in the screening; that’s how he left it. Little did I know that it was I that was going to be screened.
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“So, I got there and there was Elder Buba Galadima, the national chairman and what have you. They said I should sit down. I sat. (They asked me) ‘If you are to be chosen as the running mate to His Excellency, Kwankwaso, what’s your vision for Nigeria?’
“I said, ‘Is that why you brought me? Nobody told me I was coming here for screening. I thought I was going to join in the screening committee as a friend.’ I said, ‘Well, if I am to be his running mate, I don’t have any vision.
“‘I am a supporting striker because if I have a vision and I’m bringing my vision to his, then the vision comes to bear. It is his vision, his mind, his thoughts. We’ll have to sit down and rub minds together to run with what he has and then we’ll see how we go on.’
“Long story short, I was asked to produce my resume. I said, ‘For crying out loud, I’m not looking for a job. I just came to say hello and do Sallah stuff with my friend,’” he stated.
Idahosa said with the help of his wife and elder sister, he got his certificate and rushed back to Lagos to collect it.
“At about 9pm on Wednesday, my name was flying all around on social media: ‘Isaac Idahosa’. Then I called on my principal, ‘Sir, what is happening? My name is all over.’ He said, ‘Just forget about that, just go to bed.’ I said, ‘Okay, sir.’
“Thursday was worse! Everybody, everywhere; my phone was beeping and ringing. Then at about 2pm, he called and said, ‘Excellency.’ That was the first time he would mention that, qualifying me that way.
“He would always say, ‘Bishop.’ Now, ‘Excellency, congratulations.’ My hands were shaking, my legs were wobbling. I said, ‘Congratulations, what?’ He said, ‘You’re my running mate,’” he said.
