- Safiu Kehinde
Mustafa Sule-Lamido, son of former Jigawa state governor, Sule Lamido, has secured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket for the 2027 Gubernatorial Election in the state.
Sule-Lamido was declared winner of the PDP’s primary election held in Dutse at the weekend.
Announcing the result of the election on Sunday, Isa Ahmed, the Returning Officer for the primary election, affirmed Sule-Lamido as the party’s flagbearer.
Ahmed maintained that the emergence of the former Jigawa governor’s son had complied with the party’s constitution and guidelines.
Sule-Lamido, who was also the party’s governorship flagbearer in 2023, thanked the leadership of the party for the peaceful conduct of primaries across the state.
He congratulated other candidates of the PDP across the state, and pledged to promote unity in the fold.
He listed economic growth, youth empowerment, education, healthcare, social revival and institutional reform as priority areas, if elected.
“This moment is not new to me. In 2023, you entrusted me with this same irresponsibility and together we ran a campaign rooted in unity, hope, reform and promise of a better Jigawa.
“Though we did not secure victory then, we earned the confidence of hundreds of thousands of our people and laid a strong foundation.
“We are back in the race today because the problems and challenges bedeviling our dear state are still with us,” he said.
Sule-Lamido identified unprecedented hardship, bad governance and insensitive leadership as some of the challenges bedeviling the north-western state.
“We are not here to lament. We are here to fix the problems,” he declared.
He decried the declining standard of education in Jigawa, and regretted that expectations of the citizens had not been met by government.
The PDP flagbearer promised to rebuild Jigawa into a state that works for all, where leadership is accountable and resources managed responsibly.
“We also intend to build a state where opportunities are accessible to every citizen,” he said.
He called on members of the party to unite and woo voters to ensure success in 2027.
“To the people of Jigawa, I hear you, I see you and I feel your pains; give me the opportunity to serve you,” Sule-Lamido said.