Precious Mark
The Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for 2027 Polls, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said an NDC Government will prioritise merit, competence and national needs in sharing political appointments if elected.
Kwankwaso, a former Kano State Governor and ex-defence Minister, spoke in Abuja during the Personality Interview Series.
He said if elected, the NDC’s Administration would draw its ministers and other appointees from among technocrats, professionals and experienced politicians with the expertise required for their responsibilities.
“Power will be shared according to the needs of the country; technocrats and qualified politicians with prerequisite knowledge will be appointed,” he said.
Kwankwaso said the scale and complexity of governing Nigeria meant that President and vice-president could not do the job alone, making competent appointees essential to delivering on the administration’s mandate.
He said specialised ministries would be assigned to people with relevant professional knowledge and experience, while stressing that political experience and technical competence could coexist.
“Some politicians have strong professional backgrounds,” he said. He argued that technocrats should not automatically be regarded as people outside politics.
The former minister also promised that an NDC government would move quickly to constitute its cabinet after inauguration, warning against wasting valuable time on appointments.
“Since elected officials have only four years to deliver on their mandates, they should, therefore, begin work immediately after assuming office,” he said.
Kwankwaso said he was comfortable serving as vice-president, maintaining that public office should be about contributing to national development rather than merely seeking political positions.
He added that effective delegation to competent appointees would improve governance and enable Nigerians to benefit more from government.