By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
Eleven days to the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, the governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, alongside other critical stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, have embarked on rigorous ward-to-ward campaigns to woo the electorate to cast their votes for the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima, and all other National Assembly, governorship and state Assembly candidates in the state.
Although, Zulum had throughout last year and this year toured most of the 27 local government areas of the state, seeking for another mandate, the governor this time around changed his campaign strategies by visiting the over populated residents of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, MMC, and Jere Local Government Area, assuring that when given the second term, and Tinubu elected as President, more dividends of democracy would be provided with the restoration of total peace in the state.
While at Fezzan, Shehuri South, Limanti Tamsuwa, Gamboru in MMC, Bulumkutu and other communities in Jere, Zulum called on the people of the areas to vote APC candidates from top to bottom, stressing that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, LP, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, with their candidates have nothing to offer to Borno people, hence, the oppositions should be voted out of the system come February 25th and March 11th general elections.
He said, “I want to use this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Borno for giving the first mandate to me to emerge as governor in 2019. I am happy to inform you that we have collectively leverage on that mandate to transform Borno for the better. Our security situation has improved remarkably. We have built schools, create jobs, and empower lots of our women and youths after they had undergone various skills acquisition trainings.
“I want to assure your that when re-elected as your governor for the second time, and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is elected as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, nobody would have a cause to regret, because we are going to consolidate on our achievements through inclusive governance at all levels.”
Earlier in his address to the mamoth crowd, who came out to witness the campaigns, state Chairman of the APC, Hon Ali Bukar Dalori, who welcomed several decampees into his party, promised to carry everybody along, as his doors would continue to remain open for advices or constructive criticism that would ensure that the APC emerged victorious in the general elections.
Borno Central senatorial candidate of the APC, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan, House of Representatives candidates for MMC and Jere federal constituencies, Hons Kadiri Rahis and Ahmed Satomi respectively, pledged to provide quality representation through all inclusive constituency projects in their respective constituencies.