Borno governor doing well but… ― PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno State, on Monday, said it would give Governor Babagana Zulum a stiff challenge in 2023, despite the party’s commendation of the governor for his laudable achievements so far.

State chairman of the party, Usman Badeiri, said that the opposition party felt compelled to set aside party difference and give honour to whom it is due based on the collective interest of the state.

He said the performance of the governor was “merely raising the bar for the PDP in our search for a PDP candidate with the potential to outperform him.

“As a notice of courtesy to the APC in Borno State, the PDP intends to produce a better candidate come 2023 and we shall in a united front market our candidate to take over from the APC and do far more than the very good things Governor Zulum is currently doing,” Badeiri assured.

However, the PDP leader noted that the governor had been extremely supportive of the fight against Boko Haram, by not only providing the necessary logistics and tools to the Nigerian armed forces, but to critical volunteers.

He remarked that Zulum regularly went on humanitarian and developmental tour of most Borno’s communities throughout 27 local government areas, including high-risk terrains, where he usually passed the “night with our people to show leadership by example” adding that in all visits, he strengthened “community security with patrol vehicles, recruitment of more hunters and civilian JTF with increase in monthly allowances.

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“We know that it is extremely unusual for the most competitive opposition party like the PDP in Borno State to publicly speak highly of the Governor in a ruling party.

“What a typical Nigerian politician in the opposition would do, is to openly criticise a governor no matter how well he performs and use the advantage of criticality to blackmail and seek favours from the same governor at night. We are not that kind of politicians.

“We are straight, firm and with integrity. We accept that it is unusual for us in opposition to speak in the direction we have chosen, but we also recognise and accept that things are not usual in Borno State,” Badeiri stated.

According to the PDP leader, unlike other states, Borno was faced with severe challenges and having a leader who understood and showed a high level of competence and character in handling the tough challenges called “for the support from all well-meaning citizens who must, for a moment, put Borno ahead of political interest.”

He said the PDP members had no plan to defect to any other party, stressing that their favourable comments on the administration of the governor were based on empirical evidence since he assumed office last year.

“We are in PDP and shall, insha’Allah remain in PDP, no matter what. Nevertheless, we recognise the fact that we are first of all Nigerian citizens of Borno State, who were mostly born and grew up in Borno State.

“We have obligations towards the Borno and our generality of people, as much as we have obligations towards our great party, the PDP. As part of the discharge of our obligations to the good people of Borno State, we as a political opposition normally scrutinise the affairs of the government in Borno.

“We have since May 29, 2019, critically followed the affairs of the governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum. The long and short aspect of our critical analysis of Zulum so far is that, even as an opposition in the PDP, we are highly impressed with his very unusual performance in less than one year,” Badeiri stated.