Former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, has formally declared his intention to contest the Katsina State governorship election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Daura made the declaration during a youth sensitisation and mobilisation enlightenment programme held in Katsina, the state capital.
Speaking at the event, the former DSS boss said the time had come for him to publicly announce the political platform through which he intended to pursue his governorship ambition.
He urged members of the ADC to remain united, disciplined and respectful to one another and to party leaders, stressing that internal cohesion was critical to the party’s success.
Daura expressed confidence that with unity and commitment, the ADC would grow stronger and reclaim what he described as its lost glory in Katsina State.
Earlier, a chieftain of the party, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, charged ADC members to shun fear and greed, noting that unity remained the cornerstone for achieving the party’s objectives at both the state and national levels.
He cautioned members against actions that could weaken the party, urging them instead to focus on collective progress.
Inuwa also criticised the ruling party, accusing it of eroding farmers’ economic strength through policies that promote food imports despite the rising cost of agricultural inputs.
According to him, the government had shown insensitivity to the struggles of ordinary citizens, particularly rural farmers.
“To show how bad things have become, the money from selling five tiyas of maize can only buy a bottle of palm oil,” Inuwa said.
He added that a farmer would need to sell about 50 bags of maize to raise N1m, a situation he said reflected a sharp decline in farmers’ purchasing power.
The party chieftain further disclosed that 71 members had recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ADC.
He also claimed that the entire structure of the Labour Party in the area was in the process of joining the ADC, a development he said would significantly strengthen the party ahead of future elections.