By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Borno State , Hajiya Fatima Abubakar, has vowed to defeat Governor Babagana Zulum, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2023 election.
Hajiya Fatima argued that despite the volume of capital projects and programmes the ruling party has executed across the liberated 25 LGAs, there are lot of challenges and issues which are humanitarian and developmental to the rural and urban majority of the people that have been either neglected or unfulfilled against electioneering campaign promises.
She stated this during during an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Hajiya Fatima, further, said: “The welfare packages and other benefits of the civil servants at both the state and local government levels remained a great concern and serious issues burning the hearts of innocent and dedicated civil servants who are already highly aggrieved with what is going on as some workers don’t even know when last they received their salaries and allowances or retired workers who spent their 35 years in serving the state and LGCs and have not received their salaries and pensions including arrears of gratuities and promotional benefits for years if many retirees and serving civil servants”.
Hajiya Fatima noted that all the compounded problems and weaknesses of the ruling party are pointers and openers for her victory.
She said: “We have been capitalizing on these and other weaknesses of the ruling party to mobilize for votes as opposition party no hence people are already tired of his government and bow worried.”
” As opposition candidate, like the way and manner my colleagues in PDP and CNPP are also criticizing the government in many ways on the media, I am doing same to convince our people that there is a lot that is needed to be done which Insha Allah, we shall fulfil our promises and do it in the overall interest of our people, especially, those at the grassroots who are highly neglected or abandoned .
The governorship candidate revealed that she has commenced house-to-house campaign in order to reach out to the electorates, who are mostly women that will elect her on election day as governor of the state.
Hajiya Fatima, however, expressed optimism that with the current supports she is getting from the electorates, she would be able to defeat Governor Zulum during the forthcoming March 2023 general election.
She said: “I want to urge women and youths we are reaching out to, to also extend the messages to others on the need to try the few women candidates in this contest for positive change.
”We are also making our plans and preparations for our rallies across the state as the electoral law provides. We shall go round also and campaign in all the three senatorial’ zones.
“I am getting more popular with more supporters, particularly women who believe in my capacity to bring more and better transformation in the lives of women and youths in Borno,’ Fatima said.
She called on other political party candidates to play the game of politics and carry out their campaigns on issues- based and not threats or attacks on personality or otherwise.
In a swift reaction, a grassroots politician and APC supporters, Dr. Hassan Alhaji Hussain of Bulumktutu Ward Maiduguri has condemned the ADC governorship candidate’s utterances.
Dr. Hussain described her comments as over ambition and impossibility considering the acceptability and popularity of the incumbent governor’s giant strides in capital projects execution and implementation of people oriented programmes , most especially, the poverty Alleviation scheme and IDPs resettlement stabilization and livelihoods support programmes .
He added that the ruling party’s consistency and sustainability in rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of educational, health, administrative, water supply , roads and agricultural facilities among others have transformed the state and could serve as yardsticks for his return to power to continue with the good works he had stared years back.
” I have no doubt Borno people will; give him an chance to continue with the work he had started. His people like him and he is popular among them all over. They respect him and like what he is doing. For example, the IDPs resettlement, schools building, hospital buildings and equipments provision, roads construction, water resuscitation and return of farming activities t the rural/l areas among others,; Hassan said.
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