A frontline chairmanship aspirant under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) platform, Hon. Adamu Saleh Mohammed, has pledged to prioritise education, healthcare, and infrastructural development if elected to lead the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in the forthcoming 2026 elections.
During the formal declaration of his ambition in Abuja over the weekend, Hon. Mohammed lamented the deplorable state of basic services in the council, particularly in schools and hospitals, which he described as “lifelines for the masses.”
“In my priority,” he stated, “schools and hospitals will be the first people to be paid on the payroll, because they are the sectors that the poor man relies on.”
Mohammed expressed concern over the growing disconnect between the council and its residents, despite its position as the closest tier of government to the people.
“AMAC is supposed to be the government closest to the people, but sadly, it feels very far from them,” he said. “If elected, I will bridge that gap. The two most critical sectors — education and primary healthcare — are currently comatose, and I intend to revive them.”
On infrastructural challenges, the SDP candidate pointed out the glaring disparities between the city centre and suburban wards such as Kabusa, Gwarinpa, and Karshi.
“We only have roads in the city centre. Go to Kabusa ward, go to Gwui ward, go to Karshi — some roads there are unmotorable,” he lamented. “I will ensure that every ward is connected, so that residents can feel the presence of the government.”
Mohammed also unveiled plans to address the housing deficit, particularly for low-income earners and council staff.
“Since the creation of AMAC, the council has never invested in affordable housing for its staff or low-income residents. That will change under my administration,” he promised.
Mohammed proposed launching a digital governance initiative for transparency and accountability as part of his agenda.
“We are going to introduce a transparency portal for AMAC. Whatever we are doing — expenses, projects — will be accessible online. People should be able to track public funds. Currently, everything is shrouded in secrecy,” he said.
He also vowed to tackle the issue of ghost workers and instil discipline in the council workforce.
“We still have ghost workers — people getting paid for doing nothing. That will end. Everyone employed must show up to work and resume at the official time.”
Calling for a shift in political culture, Mohammed challenged voters to reject inducements and vote wisely.
“If we keep collecting money from politicians, the mistakes will continue. But if we are truly tired of what we see, we must make a radical change. I’m not doing this for the primitive wealth accumulation or a title. I’m doing this to deliver AMAC to the people,” he said.
Promising to implement a civil revenue system devoid of harassment, Mohammed said: “I don’t believe in putting touts on the street to harass drivers or traders. We will create a system where people willingly pay their taxes because they can see what their money is doing.”
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