By Jude Opara, Abuja
As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gets set to conduct August 16 bye- elections in 12 states of the federation, Comrade Yakubu Waziri, on Monday purchased his forms to contest for the House of Representatives seat of the Chikun/ Kajuru constituency of Kaduna state.
Waziri who is aspiring to contest on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was the first to purchase his expression of interest and nomination forms for the July 19 primaries of the party.
The aspirant said he hopes to clinch the sole ticket because he has already done so much for his people in his own little way of making life more endurable for them, irrespective of what part of his constituency they come from.
He added that he intends to use his office to ensure that the relevant laws were enacted to tackle the cases of insecurity which has ravaged the area in the not too distant times.
“As I always say, we have done so much already, and I encourage you to go out there and independently verify our track record. You don’t need to tell me; just do your findings and see for yourself what we have done and what we intend to do, by the grace of God.
“Our mission is to ease the pressure on our people, particularly in the area of security, where Mr. President has made significant progress. I commend Mr. President for his support to our constituency.
“Absolutely! I am entering into a social contract with my people. For your information, I am a licensed labour contractor recognized by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity. I also run Blue Line Security Services, employing over 3,800 people. If I can make an impact at this level, imagine what I’ll do when I get to the House of Reps. The narrative will change—by the grace of God”.
However, Waziri appreciated President Bola Tinubu and governor of Kaduna state, Sen. Uba Sani for improving the security situation in the area.
“You’re all aware that, for a long time, Chikun and Kajuru were constantly in the news for negative reasons. But today, thanks to the intervention of His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the “People’s Governor”—that’s what we call him because he’s approachable—the situation has improved. In fact, we are not just experiencing relative peace; we are enjoying permanent peace, to the glory of God.
“I urge all of you to continue supporting us in the area of security. In the past, we have also implemented various development projects in my constituency. These include federal roads rehabilitation, construction of culverts in erosion-prone areas, and water diversion through culvert systems.
“We have empowered petty traders with N3,000 to N10,000 each. Imagine what that does for women selling okra or akara by the roadside, whose businesses barely have N5,000 capital. With an additional N10,000, their businesses can grow significantly.
“There was jubilation in the communities when we did this. We’ve also empowered over 100 beneficiaries with irrigation pumping machines, sewing machines, grinding machines, and salon equipment for women. For men, we provided clippers, mirrors, and other tools to help them earn a livelihood.
“We have also offered scholarships, paid school fees for orphans and widows, and provided other forms of intervention to ease their economic burdens”.
On the coalition movement that has collapsed into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Waziri said it is dead on arrival because the APC is now deep rooted in the whole of Kaduna state.
The Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency seat became vacant following the death of Hon. Ekene Ibrahim who died in July, 2024.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
