Former Minister of Sports and interim spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has declared that ending banditry in Katsina State would be a top priority for the newly formed opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Naijaonpoint reports that Abdullahi’s remarks came in response to Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, who dismissed the opposition coalition as a group of recycled politicians with no new ideas or credible plans for national development.
Responding to Radda’s criticism, Abdullahi, in a post on 𝕏 (formerly known as Twitter), accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of abandoning the fight against insecurity in the state, particularly the growing menace of banditry in Katsina.
Abdullahi said, “Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina wants to know what the coalition will do differently. Good question.
“To start with, we will end banditry in his state, a task that the APC government has long given up on.”
He stressed that restoring peace and security in Katsina and other affected states would be a key objective of the coalition.
Naijaonpoint understands that Abdullahi’s statement comes four weeks after the state government held a peace meeting with bandits in the state.
The Katsina State Government, in a statement released on June 17, 2025, denied claims that it is actively negotiating with bandits, clarifying that its only interest lies in reintegrating repentant criminals who willingly drop their arms and embrace peace.