The senator representing Katsina North
Senatorial District, Ahmad Babba Kaita,
has joined the Peoples democratic Party
(PDP).
Babba Kaita announced his defection
from the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) in a statement by his
media aide, Abdulkadir Lawal.
Katsina North senatorial zone comprises
12 local government areas, including
Daura, President Muhammad Buhari’s
hometown.
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Babba Kaita was elected to the 8th
Senate in 2018 to fill the vacuum in the
senatorial zone following the demise of
Senator Mustapha Bukar.
In 2019, he was re-elected again to the
9th Senate after defeating his opponent,
Hon Usman Mani of the PDP. He
currently chairs the Senate Committee on
Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND.
The lawmaker said his decision to dump
the ruling APC was due to the
marginalisation of critical stakeholders
by the state government and the
leadership of the party at the state level.
He said the state under the Aminu Bello
Masari-led administration is witnessing
gradual decline to undemocratic
principles with total absence of a level
playing field for grassroots politicians
and genuine party foot-soldiers.
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The senator said as an advocate of
transparency and continuous
entrenchment of popular will, he could
not afford to continue sharing the tent of
undemocratic merchandise clearly being
executed against his people by the state
government and party leadership.
Babba Kaita said his movement to the
PDP was informed by his determined
desire and opportunity to provide
succour and much-needed dividends of
democracy to his people.
The statement said, “As a loyal party
man and responsive democrat whose
expansive support base in his
constituency has remained pivotal to his
passion for the reciprocal growth and
development of his people,
Distinguished Senator Ahmad Babba
Kaita has followed the recent events in
Katsina state with keen interest and deep
concern.
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“Of notable implication among many of
this numerous concerns is the gradual
loss of credibility in Governor Masari-led
administration, particularly in the avowed
refusal to conduct local government
elections across the state in time.
“The wilful refusal of the administration
to uphold the basic foundation of
democracy has also found expression in
the marginalisation of critical
stakeholders by the state government
and the leadership of the party at the
state level.
“The recent Congresses at state and
ward levels, with no identified genuine
pro-government delegates are clearly a
rape of grassroots politicians and
genuine party foot-soldiers who were
rigged out of open contest.
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“The total absence of a level playing
field speaks volumes about an already
orchestrated decline to antidemocratic
principles and challenges every good
conscience including ours. All politics is
local.
“As an advocate of transparency,
accountability and continuous
entrenchment of popular will, Senator
Kaita cannot afford to continue sharing
the tent of undemocratic merchandise
clearly being executed against his
people by the state government and
party leadership.
“A clear stock taking of where Katsina
state stands today, is already enough
burden on good conscience. Our good
people, in their millions have excused
deprivation, poverty and hunger for too
long.
“They have endured the risk to their lives
and wellbeing imposed by the incapacity
of the state government to tackle
insecurity head on.
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“They have been denied enough, already,
by the state government. We cannot
deny them their right of choice. The
serial denial of the people’s mandate at
the recent Congresses among other
related developments has finally found
expression in our answer to the clarion
call of our people to vacate the APC
following very wide consultations.
“Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita is not a
bandwagon politician. His exemplary and
robust representation in the Nigerian
Senate is to the admiration of all, and
with significant, visible impacts in the
areas of infrastructural and human
capital development across the three
Senatorial zones of the state. There is a
room to do more.”
Source:- Daily Trust