The Zamfara State Integrity Group has warned governors against using public funds to buy cars and motorcycles for supporters, insisting that public money must be used only for public purposes.
In a public message signed by Muhammad Sagir and made available to LEADERSHIP in Gusau, the group said the rule is simple and non-negotiable: personal gifts must come from personal funds.
“No governor should use state funds to buy cars or motorcycles for supporters. Any governor who does so must be held accountable,” the statement said.
“Let every governor hear it loud and clear: the treasury is not a political gift shop.”
Security Is The Real Test
The group said whatever a governor achieves will amount to nothing if he fails to protect the lives and property of his people.
“To protect one innocent soul is better than all that he did,” the statement said.
It argued that a governor who won an election because of security will also lose an election because of that same security, especially a governor who promised to end banditry during his campaign but failed to do so.
“A governor who promised to end insecurity and won because of the belief that he would end it, but failed, will also lose the election because of security. He won because of security, and he will lose because of insecurity,” the group said.
The group predicted that the first set of governors to lose their re-election bids would be those who left the party that voted them to power and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), and those who failed to protect their people.
“The first set of governors that will lose the election by noon during the election, InshaAllah, are the governors who left the party that voted them to power and joined the APC, and the governors who failed to protect their people,” the statement said.
“Nothing will prevent them from losing the election. On election day, these governors will understand the language of the people they promised to protect but failed — they will see the result in the ballot box.”
The group cited Zamfara State as a case study, saying no governor who failed to protect lives and property can escape the judgment of the ballot box.
“The people are watching, and the ballot box will speak,” it added.
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Nicholas Dekera is a journalist with over 20 years of experience currently reporting for Leadership Newspaper and covering Zamfara and Sokoto States. He specialises in security, health, politics, and the environment, with a career spanning newsrooms across Benue, Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto. He is a recipient of multiple industry awards.