Except for an outsider, but everyone in Niger state knows that the state will go Atiku way in the February 25th, 2023 presidential election.
The Governorship will also follow the pattern of the Presidential election, the reasons are not far fetched, until what happened in 2015 happened for which all the players and the citizens, I am very sure have learnt their lessons and ordinary Nigerians now more than ever before will want empirical promises than an illusionary edorado that catapulted a Buhari into power with no proven business track record, no special skills on anything, no record of stellar performance nor proven ability to deliver but a fringe sing-song of Change! Same cannot be said of Atiku and Kantigi. Atiku and Kantigi are are tested men of timber and calibre, performers, tested and trusted with empirical results to show.
If only Nigerians knew that the change was going to be from poor to wretched, from 3 square meals to one or zero square meal, from regional terrorism to National Bandity, from N87 a litre of petrol to N300 a litre, from ASUU strike of weeks to almost ASUU strike of a year, from $1 to N185 to $1 to N700 and to crown it all, commissioning of empty containers as Baro Port. Nooo!
At the state level, it is even worse off, with over N1trillion budget over 8 years, no single N3billion project commenced, completed and commissioned. Primary schools’ teachers downed tools for a whole term for lack of payment of their salaries and benefits. The whole state infrastructure is in shambles, leadership of the state is clueless and the state is rudderless, thuggery is heightened as unemployment numbers pile up.
It is on this disillusion that the APC wants Nigerlites to vote another set of clueless, classless, uninspiring, colourless and not performing APC candidates for another Government of four years, against a PDP record of Performance and service delivery.
Every single useful project, program or infrastructure you see today in Niger State was put in place by the PDP’s previous administrations.
Now, for Nigerlites, the Atiku promise of restructuring will not only give the states more resources to work for its citizens, it will make states more creative, more accountable and more efficient. An instance is that Niger State has 4 power dams located in it, it has not accessed full derivation from the siting and usage of the power dams with its devastating effects on communities yet Niger has no power supply in the state. “Dem say Nigerlites no dry pay bills”
Again, Niger State has the largest Landmass in the whole of Nigeria, with abundant solid minerals across the state but Nigerlites cannot explore such resources for their own benefits because solid minerals belong to the exclusive legislative list. Atiku will break the chain, Kantigi will have more resources to deliver.
Niger state has oil in commercial quantity across the Bida basin with proven technical report to back up the claim but till date Niger State cannot explore , neither can it bring oil exploration firms because of the current status of oil legislation in the country. Only Atiku has a plan to break the circle.
Last but not the least, Niger State contributed enormous land and continue to support FCT but cannot benefit from its contribution to FCT. Ordinarily, Suleja should be marked as a support town to FCT with benefits.
If the APC under Buhari and Governor Abubakar Sani Bello have failed to deliver on Baro Port, Minna-Bida Road and many other projects, is it Bola Tinubu or Bago that will deliver? Do you think Bola Tinubu will in all honesty want a Sea port in the North? Think am!
If common sense is anything to go by Kantigi and Atiku are best to deliver on those projects, because Atiku knows the importance of the Baro port to Northern Nigeria and Kantigi knows the importance of Minna -Bida Road to Nigerlites and Nigerians, if for nothing he plies the road to his village of Kantigi, reason he pledged to do the road in 100 day from inauguration.
Nigerlites have more stake in Atiku and Kantigi winning the next elections than any other state.
More reason Nigerlites will come out massively and vote for the dou in the next election.
Mohammed writes in from Minna, Niger state capital
