BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Katsina State have thrown their weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections, pledging to mobilise their members to support the party at the polls.

The endorsement was announced on Monday in Katsina during a meeting involving leaders and members of the Physically-Challenged Persons Association and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Alhaji Muttaqa Rabe-Darma.

The association said its decision was largely driven by the minister's contributions to the welfare of persons with disabilities, particularly his interventions and support aimed at improving their living conditions.

Speaking at the gathering, the Sarkin Makafin Katsina, Alhaji Garba Muhammad-Nahuta, praised Rabe-Darma for showing concern for the needs of persons with disabilities, describing his interventions as worthy of recognition.

He assured the minister that members of the association would reciprocate his kindness by voting for Tinubu, Radda and other APC candidates in the 2027 elections.

Muhammad-Nahuta also called on other political office holders to follow the minister's example by extending assistance to vulnerable groups, stressing the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities are not left behind.

Similarly, the APC Northwest Representative of Physically-Challenged Persons, Dahiru Gambo, disclosed that members had secured their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and were ready to exercise their voting rights in the forthcoming elections.

However, he urged governments, political leaders and well-meaning individuals to do more to address the difficulties confronting persons with disabilities, particularly in areas of welfare and access to opportunities.

The Chairman of the Physically-Challenged Persons Association in Katsina State also declared support for Tinubu's second-term ambition, arguing that another four years would give the president an opportunity to strengthen and consolidate his administration's policies and programmes.

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Responding on behalf of the minister, Prof. Mukhtar Elkasim expressed appreciation to the association for its endorsement of Tinubu and Governor Radda, describing the show of confidence as encouraging.

He also announced a welfare package for members who attended the meeting, saying the gesture reflected the minister's continued commitment to supporting their well-being.

In a separate remark, the Director-General of Grassroots Mobilisation for Tinubu/Dikko 2027, Abubakar Tsanni, described persons with disabilities as reliable and dependable members of society whose contributions to community development should never be overlooked.

Tsanni recalled the cooperation he enjoyed from members of the group during his tenure as Chairman of Batagarawa Local Government Council in 2019, noting that their support left a lasting impression on him.

Also speaking, Dr Samaila Balarabe, a member of the campaign team, argued that the achievements of the Tinubu and Radda administrations provided sufficient grounds for their re-election in 2027.

Although he acknowledged that no government could resolve every societal problem within a single tenure, he maintained that both administrations had recorded considerable progress that deserved recognition.

Beyond the political endorsement, the meeting also provided an opportunity for members to draw attention to their continuing challenges, appealing for sustained government assistance, improved welfare and greater inclusion in public policies and development programmes.

The endorsement adds persons with disabilities in Katsina to the growing list of groups declaring their political preferences ahead of the 2027 elections, as political activities and mobilisation efforts gradually gather momentum.