Painted taxi drivers in Abuja have endorsed the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) candidate, Mubarak Tijjani for senate ahead of the February 2023 senatorial election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
President of the drivers’ union which operates under the Painted Abuja Taxi Nigeria Limited, Comrade Shehu Yar Adua expressed confidence that Tijjani would protect the interest of the union if voted into office.
He said the union would mobilize over 8000 members in its database to campaign and ensure the victory of NNPP in the FCT senatorial poll.
Yar Adua decried the attitude of past and incumbent FCT senators, who sought the union’s support while seeking for votes and abandoned it when elected, stating that it was the reason its members defected from their various political parties including the All Progressives Congress which he belonged to join the New Nigeria People’s Party for a breath of fresh air and dividends of democracy which had eluded them since 1999 when Nigeria returned to civil rule.
He said the major problems facing painted taxi drivers in Abuja are double taxation where each of the six area councils would demand payment of daily operational ticket and demanded a unified daily ticket to enable members drive freely from one area council to the other; and abolition of restricted areas including presidential villa, national assembly, government offices and private estates which deprived them of conveying passengers there, while unpainted cars used for taxi that were not registered with government for that purpose had access to those places.
Responding, Tijjani assured the union of effective representation that would address all their challenges and provide enabling environment for their business to strive.
He said the issues of double taxation and restricted areas of operation would be solved if he won the senatorial seat.
The NNPP candidate also promised to ensure that all cars used for taxi in Abuja were painted including Uber and Bolt cars and belonged to Painted Taxi Drivers Nigeria Limited under the union’s leadership.
