…promises new approach to security
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Shehu Bawa ABG, has expressed optimism that the party will return to power in the state in 2027.
He also said that if he assumed the mantle of leadership, he would take a different approach to tackle insecurity, infrastructure and governance.
Bawa spoke with journalists over the weekend at his campaign office in Kaduna while discussing his plans for the state and the opposition party’s preparations ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
He said the PDP was engaging stakeholders across the state to explain why, in his view, voters should demand a change of government.
“We were actually going out to enlighten the public on why they need to vote this government out,” Bawa said.
He said the ruling party has failed to prioritise projects according to the needs of communities, insisting that public funds should be deployed to projects that directly address the priorities identified by residents.
“These are public funds. All these monies do not belong to anybody.
“If you have projects that are a priority for a particular constituency, we should do the needful.” He said,
According to him, if elected governor, his administration would adopt what he called a “bottom-to-top approach” to development, including consultations with communities before deciding which projects to execute.
“As a governor, you can decide to do 10 kilometres of road in a particular constituency while that is not what they need. It is possible the constituency doesn’t even have potable water; they don’t have medical centres; they don’t have so many things. But when you interface with them, you give them what they need.” He said.
The former member of the House of Representatives noted that on security, his administration would pursue a different strategy from the approaches adopted by successive governments, arguing that residents should be able to farm, travel and conduct their businesses without fear of kidnapping or attacks.
“We want a Kaduna that all of us here can go to our farms, can go to the market without any fear.
“You can go and harvest what you farm without any fear of being kidnapped,” Bawa said.
He said the state needed a strategy that would go beyond responding to attacks after they occurred.
“You don’t have to wait for them to attack for you to protect them. You go for them. You follow them right where they are,” he said.
