By: Gbenga Akingbule.
Ahead of of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections , critical stakeholders within the party from the nine Local Govenment Areas of Borno South Senatorial District have thrown their full weight behind Engr. Abdullahi Musa Askira, the current deputy speaker at the State House of Assembly .
Gatekeepers News reports that the stakeholders said they and other constituents have had enough of the current Senator , Mohanmed Ali Ndume and are yearning for change and a better representation in 2027.
This was made known on Tuesday when the stakeholders spoke to journalists in Maiduguri , the state capital.
Hon. Sule Gambo, one of the APC stakeholder from the Senarorial Zone
explained that the demand for change is rooted in a desire for equity. He recalls the Second Republic when Askira/Uba conceded the seat to Gwoza Local Govenment Area where Ndume hails from to foster unity.
” At that time, we didn’t argue. In fact, I stood firm to ensure that Senator Abubakar Mahdi from Gwoza was elected,” he stated.
Hon. Gambo however pointed out that the spirit of fairness has since stalled. “The Senatorial seat was never moved to another local government after Senator Mahdi. It was retained in Gwoza for nearly 20 years; the Senatorial seat is supposed to rotate among the rest of us—Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza, and Askira/Uba. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case for a long time.”
Hon. Gambo maintained that., “By the will of God, the time has come for Askira/Uba Local Government. We are committed to upholding the principle of rotation we initiated, to ensure every part of the constituency feels included.”
Another APC stakeholder from Borno South Senatorial Zone, Dr. Hauwa Mai-Musa, a retired Permanent Secretary and Special Adviser to the Governor of Borno State on Women Affairs who hails from Chibok Local Government Area , also backed the call for rotation, noting that Gwoza’s 20-year hold on the seat calls for a change
“To be fair to the people of Chibok and Askira/Uba, it is time for a rotation… Engineer Askira is a proven leader. His track record shows he is ready to lead,” Dr. Mai-Musa asserted.
Hon. Musa stated that women represent a decisive majority and she would be deploying her female constituency ensure Engr Askira emerges as the APC candidate for Borno South Senatorial Zone .
“Women carry the bulk of the votes in Borno—at least 70% of the total cast. If we, the women, say we are with him( Engr. Askira), he will surely succeed. We are going to mobilize the mass movement of women for this noble cause.” Hon. Hauwa Mai Musa said
Tafu Malla, another prominent female politician from the zone highlighted Engr Askira’s track record in job creation and agricultural aid to his costituents where he’s serving as a fourth- term member of the Borno State House of Assembly .
“He maintains a genuine open-door policy and is always there for the poor; whenever we go to him, he never turns his back on us,” Malla said.
For now, Engr. Askira, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE)
has not formally declared his ambition, despite being closely aligned with powerful figures within the APC in Borno State. Nonetheless, political observers say he stands a good chance of offering quality representation for Borno South senatorial zone if he yields to the call of his constituents and emerges as the party’s candidate.
