The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and Kano State ex-governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Monday presented Edo State-born Bishop, Isaac Idahosa as his running mate for the 2023 elections.

Idahosa, the presiding Bishop and Senior Pastor of the God First Ministry, Lekki Light Centre, was unveiled at the International Conference Centre in Abuja on Monday.

During the event, Kwankwaso said Nigeria “is currently bleeding”, adding that the country is in need of people who can rescue it from total collapse.

He said the lack of understanding of how to govern a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like Nigeria by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has inflicted a severe wound on the country.

Kwankwaso said the choice of Idahosa as his running mate was made after careful consideration and screening of more than 20 persons.

“Ineptitude and lack of empathy have dealt a damaging blow to Nigerians, as even arrogance and sense of entitlement have further widening the fault lines in our country, and their attitudes toward the core functions of government are causing a dangerous escalation of insecurity, uncontrollable inflation, scandalous unemployment statistics, the collapse of the tertiary education system, and the general collapse of social services,” Kwankwaso said.

He added, “We live in a country where victims of insecurity are constantly being ignored while still being accused of exaggeration or lying or both.

“We live in a country where victims of unemployment are accused of laziness, where universities and other tertiary education institutions have frequently been shut down for months, and our children’s future is being jeopardised while leaders are busy throwing out hundreds of millions of Naira to purchase party forms.”

While accepting his nomination, Idahosa thanked Kwankwaso for the opportunity, saying Nigeria is at a critical moment where her unity and tenacity as a people are being tested.

The National Chairman of the NNPP, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said the team would rescue Nigeria from its present challenges.