BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State, Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke, has promised to introduce free drugs in public hospitals and overhaul key sectors of the state if elected governor in the 2027 general elections.

Danmarke made the pledge while receiving more than 10,000 members of the Katsina Frontier Group, led by Alhaji Aliyu Sani, who dumped the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for the PDP along with their political structures.

Addressing the new entrants, the former senator said his decision to contest the governorship election was not motivated by personal ambition or the desire to accumulate wealth through public office, but by what he described as the urgent need to tackle poverty, insecurity and the declining condition of public institutions across the state.

He insisted that he had no intention of using government resources to acquire luxury cars or build houses, stressing that his administration, if elected, would focus on improving the lives of ordinary residents and ensuring that public funds are spent on projects that directly benefit the people.

“I am not seeking to become governor to enrich myself with public funds, change my shirts or buy cars with government money. I don’t need houses anymore. I am coming to save Katsina and write my name in gold, just like other past leaders and governors of the state,” Danmarke said.

He further assured residents that every allocation and revenue generated by the state would be properly managed and directed towards development, adding that his experience as a businessman would guide his approach to public financial management.

Danmarke also questioned why Katsina continued to struggle with poverty, insecurity, inadequate healthcare and other developmental challenges despite receiving substantial financial allocations from the Federal Government.

Taking a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration, he described the current government as a one-man-show, accusing it of failing to make the welfare of ordinary residents a priority.

He also challenged the ruling party's justification for seeking another mandate in 2027, arguing that persistent security challenges contradicted its claims of having done everything possible to protect residents. He further alleged that dissatisfaction with the administration existed within the APC itself.

On his proposed agenda, the PDP candidate identified security, accessible healthcare, quality education, peace and sustainable employment as major priorities, particularly for young people and women.

He expressed concern over the level of hardship in the state, claiming that some residents had been pushed into desperate situations by hunger and poverty. He consequently promised that his administration would work towards restoring security and making essential drugs available free of charge in public hospitals within a short period of assuming office.

Advertisement

The PDP candidate also raised concerns about the alleged financial difficulties confronting public institutions, particularly boarding schools, hospitals and tertiary institutions.

According to him, some educationists who recently met with him disclosed that principals of boarding schools had been borrowing money for more than three months to keep their institutions running and provide meals for students due to inadequate government funding.

Danmarke also made claims about the financial situation at the Turai Yar’Adua Maternal and Child Hospital, alleging that its monthly allocation, which he put at N100 million during the administration of former Governor Aminu Bello Masari, had dropped to just N700,000 under the current government.

He further claimed that the hospital sometimes went for as long as three months without receiving its allocation, a situation he said had disrupted its operations and contributed to the departure of medical doctors.

The PDP candidate alleged that tertiary institutions in the state were experiencing similar difficulties, claiming that some lecturers had left their jobs because of unfavourable working conditions.

He accused government officials of presenting an impression that public institutions were functioning normally while essential services continued to face serious challenges.

With the 2027 governorship election approaching, Danmarke urged opposition supporters to intensify political mobilisation, insisting that replacing the APC-led government should be a collective responsibility among those seeking a change in the state's leadership.

He described the defection of the Katsina Frontier Group as a significant addition to the PDP's political structure, expressing appreciation to its members for choosing to align with his party.

Earlier, the group's leader, Aliyu Sani, said their decision to leave the APM was based on their confidence in Danmarke's leadership and his stated commitment to the welfare of Katsina residents.

Sani disclosed that the group had transferred its political structures to the PDP and pledged to mobilise members and supporters across the state ahead of the 2027 elections.