In what appears like a protest against PDP governorship zoning arrangement towards 2019 governorship election, a staunch member of the opposition party, who was also a former speaker of the state house of assembly, Rt Honnourable Isa Kawu, has thrown his hat into the ring.
However, Isah Kawu said he would not contest under his party or the ruling APC, but refused to mention his preferred platform.
Alhaji Isah Kawus’ declaration for the governorship race could also mean a defection from the PDP.
The PDP had in 2003 put in place the zoning arrangement which provided for the governorship to rotate among the three senatorial zones commencing with the Niger south senatorial zone.
Following this arrangement politician from the Niger south and Niger East have had their turns leaving the stage for Niger north to occupy the governorship seat till 2023.
Incumbent chairman of the party Alhaji Tanko Beji restated the commitment of the state working committee of the party to upholding this policy next year when he briefed newsmen in Minna last week.
However, Alhaji Isah Kawu who was a former speaker of the State House of Assembly and beneficiary of the zoning formula while declaring his interest in the governorship of the state on a local radio in Bida on Saturday said he was not bound by the party arrangement.
Isah Kawu stated that he was not unaware of the zoning arrangements adding that “it is only top politicians who will press home their agenda yet the ordinary people of Niger state are more concerned about quality of leadership not the geopolitical background of the leader
“I Isah Kawu from Bida, have made up my mind to contest the governorship election in Niger state come 2019, I am very much aware of the fact that as a prominent member of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, many politicians and ordinary Nigerlites will pitch their tent with the party, but it has become clear that I will seek my election on another platform”.
He continued that “I salute the courage of those who recently moved from PDP to APC, but I don’t think I have the strength to take the broom to sweep, but I will actualize my aspiration in other political parties coming on board knowing fully that we have over 60 political parties especially the ones on the ground in Niger state, we should be able to bring them together to rescue the state,” he added
The declaration by Alhaji Isah Kawu was also posted on his Facebook pages and on Instagram.
Note that Isah Kawu is from zone A that had already taken its turn with the late former governor Abdukadir Kure.
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