Ahead of the 2023 general elections, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) is offering a better political alternative to Nigerians from other parties, its gubernatorial candidate in Kaduna state, Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, has said.
Hunkuyi, who was ex- gubernatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003 and a Senator under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) between 2015 and 2019, said NNPP has taken cognizance of the failures and inadequacies of the ruling party and the major opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He said NNPP has strategised come 2023 to defeat their competitors in Kaduna state and across Nigeria and provide Nigerians with sustainable leadership and good governance that would take the people out of poverty.
Addressing selected media in Kaduna on the forthcoming general election, the failure of the ruling APC and what NNPP has to offer in Kaduna, Sen. Hunkuyi said if elected as governor in 2023, his administration was poised to address persistent security challenges, education, health, and infrastructural development.
“We want to provide better alternative platform and NNPP is occupying that position because people are tired of this party with hunger, loss of jobs and so many negative indices of lives. My chances are high because I come from opposition party. I led the opposition party of APC to demolish the ruling PDP in 2015 because the people under them held the four aces and the electorates today have a better instrument of measurement to measure what the people’s minds are.
“The APC as a sitting party in government planned and executed the local government elections a year ago, what was the contend of the people, the lessons, the facts? In 2019 general elections, APC garnered 112,000 votes for their candidate in Zaria local government alone. During the 2021 local government elections what votes did the APC scored to still win? Local government elections bring more voters than the general elections, but APC won just over 21,000 votes.
“Some said it was voters’ apathy, that people refused to come out and vote but the turnout of 2019 general elections was about 50% of those that registered. The electorates are no longer interested in what they see, hear or get, the government cannot mobilize them and give them reason to come out and vote. Why didn’t the people go out to vote for the PDP in alternation? People see PDP as near alternative to APC.
“If NNPP had contested that election, NNPP will take over Zaria local government. Even in Birnin Gwari which was APC stronghold like Zaria local government, PDP won because the people decided to vote PDP. If you go round the state under that 2015 elections, people want to tell PDP that we don’t agree with you.
“I have been part of leading three or more movements of political parties for the aspiration of leadership and governance in Kaduna state, you cannot be aloof having that experience. Given the opportunity to be at that level within the system in politics, we have formed government, assessed government. I hear, see and understand the assessment of my people of various governments, various individuals at the apex of leadership.
“I have been within the political system within the last 35 years, if I have the opportunity, I would have seek the mandate of my people and if given the opportunity by God, I believe I have a concept, an idea, a requisite deposit of my little experience in the various governments, that helped the various administrations to success. I believe I have a modem of how governance in my cosmopolitan, modest state should be, given the opportunity.
“In Kaduna state, we must change the narration, what we do differently, we would do our due diligence, stop the budget and do a supplementary budget on May 29th, 2023 to complement security in our state. We are going to see how funds are approved to heads and sub heads of security.
“We are bringing back all our district heads, they are the ears and eyes of government, they are the first reality point of collection and transmission of intelligence to security authorities and government. We need to give them training, sharpen their senses and guide them on how to treat security matters. We have to employ community approach to security within our state,” the NNPP guber hopeful added.