…As Buratai, Sheriff Endorse Zulum For 2nd Term
By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has flagged off his re-election campaign, in preparationfor the 2023 general elections, saying that Borno State is now a peaceful state.
This was even as former Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and Borno political strongman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, have thrown their weight behind the re-election of the governor, describing him as the most ever performing governor in the history of the state.
Speaking during a rally to formerly flag-off his campaign at Ramat Square in Maiduguri on Monday, amidst mammoth crowd of APC stakeholders and supporters, Zulum stressed that Borno is now safe, adding that gone are the days when Boko Haram attacks innocent communities under his leadership.
Zulum said, “For the first time in history, there had been no report of Boko Haram attack and kidnapping in any local government area in the state.
“Now thousands of Boko Haram fighters are surrendering to our Army, we resettled nearly one million internally displaced persons, IDPs, back to their ancestral communities. We are committed to restore peace and security for all in Borno, because we are winning the war against Boko Haram.
“My administration is committed to give a full secured state for our people and we hope to restore our lost commercial activities by the end of 2023.
“We are working with security agencies in order to restore night travelling from Maiduguri to Damaturu and from Maiduguri to all the 27 local government areas in the state.”
He promised to empower the Civilian Joint Task Force CJTF, hunters and vigilantes in order to strengthen security outfit in Borno State.
He urged all APC stakeholders and his party supporters to continue supporting his government with prayers in order for him to fulfill his campaign promises.
Expressing his satisfaction at the unity displayed by party faithful at his flag-off, Governor Zulum urged party faithful to work round the clock to ensure victory for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 general elections.
Meanwhile, a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Buratai, and Borno political strongman, Senator Sheriff, have thrown their weight behind the re-election of Governor Zulum as governor of Borno State in the 2023 elections.
They spoke at the flag-off of Zulum’s second-term statewide electioneering campaign in Maiduguri, on Monday, December 12.
Both men reviewed leadership and governance in the state over the last 30 years, remarking that Prof. Zulum has performed better than the four civilian governors of the state put together since the aborted Third Republic.
Senator Maina Maaji Lawan governed the state in the aborted Third Republic, while Senator Sheriff and Senator Kashim Shettima governed from 1999 to 2019.
Sheriff confessed to the mammoth crowd at the flag-off, “Zulum’s performance in three years is better than the cumulative performance of four of us who governed the state before him.”
He called on the people of the state to re-elect Zulum for second term to enable him continue performing well to transform the state for post-Boko Haram prosperity.
On his part, former CoAs and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Lt.-Gen Buratai said, “Zulum has performed excellently in terms of the volume and quantum of transformation of the state for prosperity in terms of infrastructural development projects and services.”
He promised, “We will give you the support you need in your reelection bid.”
He added, “Congratulations on a very successful first term; your second term is assured.”
The flag off had in attendance the APC Deputy Natıonal Chairman, North, Senator Abu Kyari; Borno State Deputy Governor, Hon. Umar Kadafur; the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan; former governors of Borno, Senators Sheriff and Maina Ma’aji Lawan; former CoAS, Lt.-General Buratai; wife of the APC vice presidential candidate, Nana Kashim Shettima.
Others were: Minister of State for Agriculture, Baba Shehuri; Chairman of TETFund, Kashim Matawalli; National Assembly members, including: Senator Ali Ndume, Borno South senatorial district; Chief Whip at the lower chamber of the National Assembly, Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno; the member representing Biu/Shani/Bayo/Kwaya Kusar federal constituency, Muktari Betara, among other dignitaries.
