By Yusuf Gwandu
Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has warned that no aspirant will be given an elective ticket without genuine grassroots support from his or her people.
The Governor gave the warning while receiving the executive members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.
He expressed concern over the attitude of some political appointees who remain in Abuja without returning to their communities to support their people.
According to him, any aspirant seeking a party ticket must undergo proper scrutiny to confirm that the person enjoys the support of stakeholders, party executives and the electorate at the grassroots.
“Your people, stakeholders and party executives must come and endorse you and appeal on your behalf before you can be given the opportunity to contest,” he said.
Governor Idris stressed that closeness to government or having influence in Abuja would not guarantee anyone a ticket.
“You cannot stay in Abuja or remain in hiding and expect to be given a ticket simply because you are close to government or have someone in government. That will not happen under my watch. You must go back and serve your people,” he said.
The Governor also stated that he did not enter into any agreement with anyone before becoming Governor, neither did he receive financial donations from individuals in exchange for future political favours.
“They did not even support me. Some refused to attend my campaign, refused to fund the campaign and even worked towards making the election inconclusive, claiming that I did not have money to contest the rerun election,” he added.
Reacting to criticisms by opposition parties over the security situation, Governor Idris said no Governor in Nigeria is investing in security the way his administration is doing.
He also dismissed claims that his administration is a “government of learners”, describing the label as unfair.
“Someone who once led the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), one of the largest unions in the country with millions of members, is now being described as a learner. The membership of the union is even larger than the population of some states,” he said.
Governor Idris listed some of the achievements of his administration to include the free distribution of fertiliser to farmers, ongoing road construction projects in Yauri, Argungu, Zuru and Gwandu, as well as sustained support for security operations across the state.
He called on APC members in Kebbi State to intensify mobilisation for the ongoing electronic registration exercise, adding that the Progressive Governors’ Forum has requested an extension of the exercise from the party’s National Chairman.