Since the beginning of August 2010 when I announced my intention to contest for Kaduna North Senatorial seat under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), we have embarked on mobilisation, first within the party but also generally in the constituency aimed basically at presenting ourselves and to that extent popularising my candidature.
2. A major challenge we had to address at the beginning was the need to build the structures of the ACN and familiarise ourselves with the leadership of the party in the state and in all the eight (8) Local Governments of the constituency. To achieve this, we went round all the eight LGAs, met with the party leadership and assess the challenges facing them.
3. After going round, we identified that a common problem of the party was the absence of offices. In most cases, their former offices were available but rents were due and couldn’t pay. As a result, in almost all the LGAs, they were locked out. Interestingly, in two LGAs, our meetings with the party officials held in front of the locked offices.
4. We concluded our meetings with officials of the party in the LGAs in August. In September we were able to support all the LGAs address the issue of offices. We also secured a central campaign office in Zaria located on Wusasa road, after the Tuberculosis centre, before MRS filling station.
5. Throughout our visits to the party structures in the LGAs we emphasised our intentions and request for support of the party leadership. In addition, we also sent out letters of declaration of intent to people in the LGAs. They include religious leaders (Imams, leaderships of leadership of Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’a wa Iqamatul Sunna, Christian Association of Nigeria, etc.), traditional rulers, professional and youth associations, etc. We have also written to all the security agencies in the LGAs.
6. The formal declaration took place on October 2 at Tee Jay Palace Hotel, Zaria under the chairmanship of Prof. Ango Abdullahi. It was well attended by friends, family members and elders in the constituency. Key speakers at the occasion were former school teachers, friends, family members and Comrade Abdulwaheed Umar, President Nigeria Labour Congress. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was not able to attend but sent apology and promised to be part of the campaign once the open air activities commences.
7. Immediately following the declaration, together with the leadership of the party in all the LGAs, we setup a 5-member campaign team in each of the LGAs. The 5-member campaign team were requested to follow up letters of declaration of intent and setup appointments in each of the LGAs. So far, we have already visited Lere and Kubau LGAs. Kudan, Makarfi, Ikara and Soba will be taking place between November 5 – 8. Zaria and Sabon Gari LGAs are ongoing.
8. The feelers are quite encouraging and overwhelming. Everywhere we go, we keep hearing “this is the first time, a candidate or aspirant has come to seek for support”. In the office of one of the security officials, we were told “this is the first time a candidate has visited the office”. In virtually all the places, both traditional and religious leaders have told us that this is the first time any politician has come to seek for endorsement. In fact, in Lere, we are told that the current office occupant has never visited the place, both during the electioneering period and after. We are informed that the last time he visited the LGA was when he was a governor when he went to condole one of the traditional rulers after he lost a close relations.
9. We have been humbled by these visits and engagements. We have in all the situations emphasised that we are going round to initiate the process of developing relationships with the people and to that extent, lay the foundation for service delivery. We must admit that pessimism is well entrench and the expression that “we hope you will also not disappear after you win” keeps recurring. We have made commitments that ours will truly be different and we shall establish functional offices that will implement all our campaign agenda in all the eight LGAs. Right now, some work has commenced in terms of developing concepts in specific areas of service delivery including some funding mobilisation
10. We have made good progress and we can say we have changed mindsets in the constituency largely because of our objective approach. For instance, we have challenged the approach of focusing on a party and launch a major campaign around the need to focus on individual candidates rather than party. This is very well received and its sustainability is a key success factor for us. A second determinant is mobilising family and community leaders and involving them in the process. This is working very well.
11. So far, I am the only aspirant for the seat in the party. We are working very well with the party leadership at all levels to use my aspiration as a major pillar of membership recruitment for the party. Two people have so far emerged as aspirants for the seat in Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). These are Hon. Datti Baba Ahmed and Dr. Hussaini Dikko of ABU Zaria. Nobody has emerged yet in Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP). The incumbent, Sen. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi is yet to pick form his current party (PDP). There are speculations that he want to come into ACN and aspire for President.
12. I want to thank everyone for your kind and generous support. So far, we have expended about N7 million in the campaigns, most of it coming from contributions. We are confident that we will win, not just the primaries, but the elections. In sha Allah, we shall represent Kaduna North in the 2011 – 2015 Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Between now and the period of election, I will be giving you monthly update, highlighting key developments in the campaigns.
13. Finally, I want to restate our appeal for support and request that you please also help mobilise financial contributions. Kindly channel all contributions to the following: account name – Salihu M. Lukman: Bank PHB 1011484448.
Salihu Mohammed Lukman
Senatorial Aspirant, Kaduna North
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