Crisis Brews In Daura Over Governor Radda’s Endorsement

A disagreement has surfaced in Daura local government area of Katsina State following claims and counterclaims over the endorsement of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for second term in office.

While some political stakeholders announced support for the governor’s re-election bid, another group under the banner of Concerned Daura Citizens has distanced the wider Daura community from the action, describing it as partisan and unrepresentative.

The endorsement was declared during a stakeholders’ meeting in Daura aimed at mobilising support for Governor Radda’s second-term ambition.

The speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon. Nasir Yahaya Daura, said participants at the meeting resolved to back the governor in continuation of what he described as ongoing developmental efforts across the state.

According to the speaker, Daura had no other preferred aspirant and would support Governor Radda’s re-election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He also called on residents to align with the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the national level.

At the meeting, Hon. Sani Audiu Audu, special adviser on Drugs and Nicotine, moved the motion for the endorsement, which was seconded by Hon. Usman Salihu.

The motion reportedly received unanimous approval from members present.

Also speaking, the Katsina State APC chairman, Alhaji Sani Aliyu Ahmad, described the endorsement as timely and well-deserved, urging residents across the state to rally behind the governor in recognition of what he called his achievements in governance and development.

However, a group identified as Concerned Daura Citizens has rejected the claim that the endorsement reflects the position of the entire Daura populace.

Speaking on behalf of the group in Daura, Muhammad Lawal-Nalado said those who announced the endorsement did not represent the collective will of the people.

“We are not aware of that decision. What happened was purely an APC affair. They have the right to endorse whoever they want as a political party, but they do not have the right to speak on behalf of all the people of Daura,” he said.

Lawal-Nalado, a former national chairman of the Accord Party and two-time chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), said he and many other residents were neither invited nor consulted.

“You cannot sit in a small corner and make decisions on behalf of the Daura people. You do not know what is in my mind or in the minds of many others,” he added.

He maintained that even if APC members in Daura chose to endorse Governor Radda and President Tinubu, such a decision should not be presented as the stance of the entire community.

He also alleged that fewer than 50 people attended the meeting where the endorsement was announced.