AJOKE PHILIP
A retired Assistant Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Bashir Abubakar, on Thursday, declared his intention to succeed Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai as the governor of Kaduna State.
BUSINESSINSIDERNG, recall that Bashir Abubakar, was honored by President, Muhammadu Buhari with integrity awards for exhibiting Integrity in the performance of their official duties after rejecting 412,000 dollars (N150 million) bribe offered to him by drug traffickers to import 40 containers laden with Tramadol, a controlled and highly addictive drug into the country.
Buhari presented the awards to Abubakar at the National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in Public Sector in Abuja.
However, Abubakar while declaring for governor, said he will turn around the fortune of Kaduna State with his long experience in the Nigeria Customs which he said will help tackle the problem of insecurity in Kaduna State if elected governor in 2023.
Speaking to newsmen at the Kaduna State headquarters of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), where he declared his intention to vie for the top seat in 2023, Abubakar, said he has over 30 years of experience in the Nigerian Customs where he held very sensitive positions, saying that would equip him to deal with insecurity bedevilling Kaduna State once he is elected Governor.
He explained that his intention to vie for the number one position in the state arose after a series of consultations with friends and associates who later, urged him to contest for the governorship so as to be a worthy successor to Governor El-Rufai in 2023.
He said his track records as retired paramilitary personnel and subsequent commitments to the cause of humanity, were open for the public to see.
“If elected, I will tackle insecurity and create employment opportunities in the State.I will put more emphasis on technological education and ensure that youths and women are given training on skills acquisition for necessary empowerment,” he said.
He called on other contenders for the number one seat to rally around him by supporting him to be the party’s candidate for the gubernatorial election in 2023.
“I thank God for bringing me into APC. This shows that I am in agreement with the party and the party in agreement with me.
There are signs and evidence that the State is heading towards rapid development under governor Nasir El-Rufai. We will ensure improvement on this development if elected.”
“I have been enjoined by so many associations in my life. Some of these associations advised me to go for the governorship race.”
“Some of these associations said I have some leadership similarities with governor El-rufai, though as human beings we may differ in some areas of our characters.”
“These associations believe that if I take over from Governor El-Rufai I will be able to work, especially in the area of insecurity as a retired paramilitary personnel.”
“I have the capacity to deal with insecurity in conjunction with security agencies.”
“If elected, we will focus on youth employment, orientation and reorientation of youths and women. We will focus on education and skills acquisition,” he said.
While wishing him success in the political journey ahead; the State Deputy Chairman of APC, Hajiya Aisha Talatu Habib and other party officials expressed happiness over his ambition and thanked him for showing interest to contest under APC.