By: Mayen Etim
KADUNA, North-West Nigeria – The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labour Party (LP) chairmanship aspirants were conspicuously absent at a one-day media debate organized for candidates from Kaduna South LG ahead of the October 19 Local Government poll by stakeholders from the council.
The candidates from these three major political parties did not attend the debate organized by the Kaduna South Local Government Concerned Citizens group, which included stakeholders in the local government area on Wednesday, September 25, despite notifying them about the debate.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the debate, which was attended by Hon. Yahaya Shinko of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), the group Convener, Mr. Yusuf Pama, stated that the debate was designed for candidates vying for the chairmanship position for Kaduna South LGA to present their programmes and agendas to the public.
He emphasized the importance of allowing the people they intend to represent to know them personally before Election Day, enabling informed choices.
He equally cautioned electorate against accepting gifts from such politicians, noting that those who do so believe this will secure their votes.
“Those that didn’t come are simply telling us that they are not for the people. If they want the people to vote for them and did not come to explain what they plan to do, it means they are not for the people.
“Their inability to interface during the media debate was also a direct message that, when they finally won the election, people wouldn’t have access to them,” he said.
Pama explained that, the time is over when leaders were decided by few individuals, noting that, it was time for people to decide who should lead them as they have the power to elect their leaders.
He said: “In the forthcoming elections, please anybody that win, they should give him because we don’t want violence. We are looking for someone who’s credible from any party, we don’t have any party or candidate at heart, that’s why we organized this debate,
“I may have a party of choice, but if you put a devil in my own party and I see an angel in another party I will go for that angel. Nobody should deceive us now, it’s about good governance, and in good governance, everybody must come and contribute his quota.
“It’s enough allowing these people to just come and decide who gets there while we stand by and look, just complain, grumble and murmur. We are the stakeholders, we are the ones casting the vote, and we are the ones they are going to lead, if we don’t decide now who should lead us, anybody can go there and do whatever he wants to do.
“We don’t want a leader that would be answerable to his political party, we want a leader that would be answerable to the people, power should shift to the people, and that’s the essence of democracy.”
In his remarks, Shinko noted that only the PRP attended the debate because he believes the stakeholders present are the ones who will vote for the candidate of their choice.
He remarked that the absence of other candidates at the debate, despite the opportunity provided, indicates they are no longer interested in contesting in the forthcoming elections.
Hon. Shinko who commended the effort of the the organizers, pledged commitment to provide inclusive leadership if given the mandate.
He identified human capital development as topmost among his priorities, promising to work toward the productive engagement of women and youth for them to contribute positively to the growth of the LG.
The PRP chairmanship hopeful attributed societal vices such as crimes and drugs abuse among others to lack of productive engagement of youth in different field of endeavors.
The one time sole administrator of Kaduna South Local Government promised to identify women and youth alongside their passion, and provide assistance to them as part of empowerment for self reliance to promote sustainable economic growth of the state.
It was gathered that other political parties too were contacted but only PRP candidate attended while the rest shunned the debate.