PDP will win in Kano, Murtala Mohammed’s son vows

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is formidable enough in Kano State to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, there, the son of a former military head of state, Murtala Mohammed, said Wednesday, vowing to deliver the state to PDP in 2015.

“PDP is very formidable in Kano, and I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that it will win the election in the state,” Mr. Mohammed, who is contesting the state governorship election, said.

“If I was not convinced, I will not have been aspiring on the platform of the PDP. We will deliver Kano State to PDP come 2015,” he said.

Speaking in Abuja after submitting his nomination and expression of interest forms, Mr. Mohammed promised to give priority to electricity and boost the economy of the state if elected in 2015.

Mr. Mohammed, who was a Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on International Relations and Privatisation, was received by the PDP National Organising Secretary, Abubakar Mustapha.

He said that electricity would be his focus while education, health and agriculture would also be developed with needed infrastructure for poverty eradication.

“I have already come up with my programme which focuses on electricity, education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure.

“I believe that once we have been able to provide electricity in Kano, everything will fall in place because electricity will be the engine of growth.

“Then, we can have prosperity; once we have prosperity, the standard of living of our people will be improved significantly and everything else will fall into place,’’ he said.

He also promised to ensure that the PDP won in Kano State if he emerged as its candidate at its primaries slated for Nov. 29.

Mr. Mohammed said that the PDP was formidable enough in Kano to beat the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, at the 2015 general elections.

Mr. Mohammed, however, dismissed insinuations of any preferred candidate in the race on the PDP platform.
He expressed optimism that the leaders of the party were guided by the interest of the state and would ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.

“I know that they will be neutral in this quest to come up with a candidate that will represent the interest of the citizens of Kano State,” he said.

“As far as I am concerned, there is no other candidate who has come up to offer what I am offering to the people of Kano state.

“My fundamental aim is to put food on the table of our people, so that we will have a decent and content citizenry and a peaceful environment where all will thrive.’’

Mr. Mohammed will contest for the PDP ticket against the son of another former military Head of State, Mohammed Abacha, and other aspirants at the party’s primaries.

Whoever wins the ticket at the primaries becomes its candidate for the 2015 governorship election.

Also at the PDP headquarters to submit his forms was Abba Adamu, a governorship aspirant in Jigawa.

Mr. Adamu said his decision to join the race was prompted by his desire to use his experiences to serve the people of the state.

“I know there are problems; problems of poverty, education and bad leadership; I will use my experiences to better the lot of the people of the state.

“I will ensure I move the state to the next level of development if am elected as its governor come 2015.

He, however, called on the people of the state to resist all forms of imposition of candidate on them.

Mr. Adamu said the state was currently in a “terrible mess”, even though its capital was wearing a new look in terms of infrastructure.

According to him, it is regrettable that though the state is an agrarian one, less than 20 per cent of its land are currently being underutilised.

He added that if elected, he would give priority to agriculture and build rural roads to ensure easy transportation of farm produce to the city and other parts of the country.

The governorship aspirant promised to run a government with “human face” by involving all stakeholders before decisions were reached.

“We want government that will be run by the people not by a clique or group of people,’’ he said.(NAN)