The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State, Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke, has pledged to offer free medication in public hospitals and prioritise the welfare of residents if elected governor in 2027.
Danmarke made the pledge whereas receiving greater than 10,000 members of the Katsina Frontier Group, led by Alhaji Aliyu Sani, who defected from the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to the PDP alongside their political constructions.
The PDP candidate mentioned his ambition was not pushed by the need to counterpoint himself by public workplace however by a dedication to deal with poverty, insecurity and the deteriorating situation of public establishments within the state.
Addressing the defectors, Danmarke mentioned he had no intention of utilizing public funds to accumulate luxurious autos or construct homes, insisting that his precedence was to enhance residents’ dwelling circumstances and go away a long-lasting legacy.
“I am not seeking to become governor to enrich myself with public funds, change my shirts or buy cars with government money. I don’t need houses anymore. I am coming to save Katsina and write my name in gold, just like other past leaders and governors of the state,” he mentioned.
He promised that public sources beneath his administration can be correctly managed and channelled in the direction of initiatives and providers that straight profit residents.
“Every money we invest, we shall ensure it benefits the people of the state. As a businessman, I will make sure the people’s wealth is properly managed and utilised for their benefit. I have no intention of using the funds of Katsina State to enrich myself,” he added.
Danmarke questioned why Katsina continued to grapple with widespread poverty, insecurity, poor healthcare and different improvement challenges regardless of receiving substantial authorities allocations.
He described the present administration as a one-man-show authorities, alleging that it had uncared for the welfare of unusual residents regardless of the monetary sources out there to the state.
The PDP candidate additionally questioned the justification for re-electing the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led authorities, arguing that it had didn’t adequately tackle insecurity regardless of repeatedly claiming to have carried out all the pieces inside its energy.
He additional alleged that some members of the ruling APC have been dissatisfied with the administration.
Danmarke mentioned his proposed administration would prioritise safety, high quality healthcare, training, peace and sustainable employment alternatives for teenagers and ladies fairly than counting on short-term empowerment programmes.
“Today, Katsina people are scavenging for food on the streets, washing and eating just to survive hunger and starvation. I assure you that within the shortest possible time, we will restore security and provide free drugs in hospitals if elected,” he mentioned.
The governorship candidate additionally expressed concern over the alleged deterioration of public establishments, notably boarding colleges, hospitals and tertiary establishments.
He claimed that some educationists who lately visited him complained that principals of boarding colleges had been borrowing cash for greater than three months to run their establishments and supply meals for college kids due to insufficient authorities allocations.
On healthcare, Danmarke alleged that the month-to-month allocation to the Turai Yar’Adua Hospital, which he mentioned stood at N100 million in the course of the administration of former Governor Aminu Bello Masari, had been decreased to N700,000 beneath the present authorities.
He additional claimed that the hospital generally waited for as much as three months earlier than receiving its allocation, a state of affairs he mentioned had affected its operations and contributed to the departure of docs.
The PDP candidate alleged that tertiary establishments have been dealing with related challenges, with lecturers leaving due to worsening working circumstances.
He accused authorities officers of making the impression that public providers have been functioning successfully whereas important establishments struggled to offer important providers.
Describing the 2027 governorship election as a possibility to vary the route of governance in Katsina State, Danmarke urged opposition supporters to accentuate mobilisation, saying unseating the APC ought to be handled as a collective accountability.
He thanked the Katsina Frontier Group for leaving the APM to affix the PDP, describing the defection as a lift to the social gathering’s political construction forward of the election.
Earlier, the group’s chief, Aliyu Sani, mentioned the choice to affix the PDP was knowledgeable by confidence in Danmarke’s management and dedication to residents’ welfare.
Sani mentioned the group had moved all its political constructions into the PDP and pledged to mobilise members and supporters throughout the state.
