House of assembly hopeful for Azare pledges quality representation
By Mohammed Kaka Misau
Esv. Maikudi Ibrahim Abubakar, an aspirant for the post of house of assembly for Azare/Madangala in the Bauchi state assembly has pledged to if elected, ensure quality representation for the people of his constituency.
Speaking to our Corresspondent in an interview yesterday, the aspirant said it was necessary for him to answer numerous calls by sons and daughters of the area to contest with a view to representing them at the state assembly come 2023.
According to him, he will ensure that the voices of the people of his constituency are attended to with a view to assisting in many ways.
A retired civil servant and Chairman of Real Estate Development Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Bauchi state Chapter said he was passionate about politics in order to contribute more to nation building.
“The people of my constituency wants me to contest because of the confidence they have in me, they have been calling on me to declare for the seat. Having identified with them and the zeal I have to deliver purposeful representation, I have no option than to succumb to their calls”, he said.
According to him, “I have been in close contact with my people even while I was serving as a civil servant, they know my antecedents, they know that I can deliver and I think that is why they kept on calling on me to contest for the seat”.
The aspirant who said politics is all about delivery of dividends of democracy to the people, assured that when given the mandate, he will carry the people of his constituency along.
“Representation is all about been with the people, having a listening ears in such a way if any member of your constituency come to you, you have to listen to his complaints with a view to addressing it in your own way.
“If I am eventually elected, I will ensure that I attend to both individual and collective needs of my people, our people have been left behind in so many ways, and I will try to see that such gaps have been bridged if elected”, Esv. Ibrahim said.
The house of assembly hopeful said he will ensure that basic needs of the people of his constituency such as water, farm inputs, roads and health facilities are made available to foster development.
“I will ensure that the needed facilities that will improve the living standard of our people are put in place by facilitating it from the relevant channels”, he further pledged.
On party affairs, Esv. Ibrahim who is aspiring under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform advised that all contestants be giving the required level playing ground to achieve their political ambitions.
“I think the best thing to do is to create a fair playing ground for all aspirants, imposition of candidates should not be allowed, let the electorates chose for themselves the people they want, by doing so, it will strengthen internal democracy and by extension give hope to the common man that real democracy has come to stay”, he said.
Esv. Ibrahim avverred that the politics of godfatherism should be discouraged, as according to him, such are are some of the problems that is even blocking common man from getting the desired dividends of democracy.
“By the time somebody is imposed on the people, he feels that he is not duty bound on them and the common been aware that his vote was not counted, he looses hope because the political office holder will only do things that will please his master and will not listen to the voice of the masses”, he pointed out.
The house of assembly aspirant who advocated for free and fair election, opined that people should be allowed to choose those who will represent them in government, adding that direct primaries is the most credible way chosing candidates.
“I don’t buy into the idea of using delegates because it allows contestants to use money to induce them and as such, only the highest bidder carries the day, that is not an election, people should be allowed to choose candidates based on merits and their credibility”, Esv. Ibrahim further opined.
He advised the people of Azare and Madangala to ensure that only people with proven integrity gets their votes, adding that vote selling or buying should not be embraced.
“They should know that any constant who gives you money is only doing business with you and doesn’t have your interest at heart. He or she will not listen to you until all the monies spent during campaigns are recovered. You should be patriotic and vote only those that will work for you and not those who will come and be sharing money who you cannot see after winning election”, he advised.
Speaking, one of the supporters of the aspirant, Sani Yakubu Lele, described Esv. Ibrahim as committed APC member whose credibility made the people of the area to call on him to contest for the seat.
“Esv. Ibrahim is somebody who has been helping the people even though he is not a politician. It is because of that that the people of his constituency kept calling on him to contest and we are glad that he has answered”, he said.
Lele who expressed optimisms that the aspirant will facilitate development to the constituency if elected, appealed to the electorates to cast their votes for him in 2023.