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 Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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