Politics
2019: Guber Aspirant Vows To Rescue Kaduna
The Senator representing Kaduna North in the National Assembly and a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) , Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi has declared that his gubernatorial ambition is triggered by the urgent need to rescue the state from bad governance it has been subjected to within the last three and half years under Governor Nasir El- Rufai.
Hunkuyi made the avowal as PDP stakeholders across the 11 local governments in Kaduna South Senatorial District expressed their support to his ambition.
Addressing thousands of party supporters in Angwa Wakili in Zango- Kataf Local Government Area of the state over the weekend , Senator Hunkuyi said Kaduna State under El-Rufai, is not only groaning under heavy debts but also retrogressing across the various sectors”.
Hunkuyi was one of the 14 Senators who severed ties with the All Progressives Congress ( APC) on July 24 and joined the PDP.
According to him, one of the hundreds of billions of debts suffocating the state government under Governor Nasir El- Rufai , is the N34 billion owed pensioners alone in terns of their unpaid entitlements like gratuities and monthly pension payment .
Hunkuyi explained that it was for this reason that other Senators from the state and himself kicked against the approval of $350 million foreign loan request the state government forwarded to the Senate through the presidency early in the year .
His words: ” I have no regret whatsoever as a senator from Kaduna State for kicking against the $350m foreign loan request of the state government because the request was not for the interest of the people of the state .
” The three senators from the state and the Senate , after critically looking into the said loan, saw that there was no need for it and that is that aside the fact that there was no iota of sincerity of purpose in the loan request by the governor .
” Within the last three and half years , El-Rufai has been in office, billions and billions of monies in terms of monthly allocations, bail outs from the federal government , remittance from Paris club etc , have been received by him with little or nothing to show for them.
“Most of the roads within the state are bad, state owned hospitals are not functional and well equipped, morale of civil servants very low and so on and so forth”.
He therefore appealed to PDP faithful in the zone to support his aspiration of clinching the party’s gubernatorial ticket in the coming primary election to enable him slug it out with El-Rufai in the March 2, 2019 gubernatorial election .
He assured the people that if elected, all the 800 districts heads across the state relieved of their positions would be reinstated within a week after his swearing in.
This he explained, must be done because government or democracy, is all about people just as he also promised to review cases of 25, 000 sacked teachers along with their counterparts at the 23 local government areas of the state .
Earlier in their expression of support for Hunkuyi’s aspiration, PDP stakeholders from the zone like Hon Sam Bassa of the Zango – Kataf local government and Hon James Bulus from Kachia , assured him of their total support.
Bassa who is the PDP party chairman in Zango- Kataf , said since Hunkuyi was there for the southern Kaduna people in the 2011 general election, when the late governor of the state , Patrick Yakowa , contested for the governorship seat of the state , they will surely reciprocate by voting for him overwhelmingly at both the primary and general elections .
” You have been with us over the years as somebody who attended Kafachan Teachers College and College of Education and most importantly one who stood out firmly from Kaduna North in 2011 to campaign and ensure victory for our late son, Gov Patrick Yakowa in 2011, consolidating the his of a southern Kaduna person becoming elected of the state then.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
The Kano State House of Assembly has debunked the purported impeachment plan against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The Tide source recalls that the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, recently sparked controversy during an interview session with a local radio station.
Mr Waiya called on the deputy governor to resign for failing to follow his principal, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, while addressing journalists in Kano on Saturday, described reports circulating in some media outlets about Mr Gwarzo’s impeachment as baseless and misleading, emphasising that no such plan is underway.
Mr Shawai further stated that the House remains focused on its legislative duties and oversight functions rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.
The spokesperson urged members of the public and the media to verify information before sharing it, stressing the importance of accurate reporting in maintaining political stability in the state.
He said, “There is absolutely no motion or initiative within the House to remove the deputy governor.
“These reports are false and should be disregarded by the public. The deputy governor continues to serve in his capacity with full support from the House.
“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not circulating rumours.”
She made the declaration during an interview with Nigerian football legend, Mr Segun Odegbami, during a live radio interview on Saturday.
Prof. Obasanjo, who is also former commissioner in the state, ruled out a return to the Senate, stating that her focus was firmly on the governorship race.
“So, moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the same party because I think that’s old and I don’t see the use of it. And I’m not going to go back to the Senate,” she said.
“Like the Americans would say, there’s no need. And this is what I told my associates, when this all started. I said, the only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship.
“And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it.”
The politician also confirmed that she recently joined the APC, explaining that her return to active politics followed persistent calls from supporters.
“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, have been working, I think, for two years now. And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back,’” she added.
Her declaration sets the stage for what may become a keenly contested governorship race in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.
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