The Social Democratic Party (SDP) gubernatorial candidate in Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Zakari-Talba, has promised to appoint women and youths to top positions if elected.

Zakari-Talba made the promise on Thursday in Katsina during an event organised by hundreds of women within Kwado area of the state to show their support to his candidature.

According to him, development of women and youths will be the top priority of his government if elected governor on March 18.

“I assure you that one of the major areas my government will focus on, is the progress of women and youths, especially in the area of education and empowerment.

“In terms of appointments, if I become the governor of Katsina State, in any 10 appointments my government will give, there must be four women and four youths.

“Therefore, I solicit your votes so that we can work together and move the state to a greater level,” Zakari-Talba said.

He commended the women for organising the event, saying it was a surprise to him to see such a number of them gathered to support him.

Earlier in her remarks, one of the women, Malama Amina Muhammad, assured the SDP candidate of their support, saying that they will mobilise more women in the area to vote for him.

The President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu is not looking for a rubber stamp National Assembly but a robust one.

Senator-elect, Adams Oshiomhole, Edo North Senatorial District stated this while speaking with newsmen at the presentation of certificate of return to Senators-elect in Abuja on Tuesday.

”Our president-elect looks forward to a senate that would contribute to the development of the country.

”I will not be part of the legislator for the powerful but to the countrymen,” he said.

Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he had been been the voice of the people as a textile union activist, NLC President, and Governor of Edo , even in his choice of projects.

“I will be part of the senate that legislates for the good people of our countrymen, not for the powerful, by making sure that what we do in appropriation will be such that Nigerians get value for money.

“It is expected that the executive is powerful but does not have absolute power, so it will not be subject to legislative check.

“We are not there for the allowance. There are couple of things that can be done differently so that the renewed hope of our party can be translated into reality.

“Even the president-elect will not look forward to a rubber stamp assembly but the one that can help to contribute to knowledge.

“Nobody has absolute knowledge but working together and negotiating to have a win-win formula that will contribute to the dividends of democracy,” he said.

Oshiomhole also said that the 10th Senate would work for economic growth, robust GDP that would rely on power reforms.

“The current problem we face in the power sector was because it was meant to favour friends and relatives, who knows nothing about power.

“Now we have to find the courage to deal with a system that makes citizens pay bills for power they did not consume, which for me is fraud.

“Government must protect its citizens, and customers must be protected otherwise all the energy spent to vote for a few guys enjoy does not worth my while.

“ There are couple of things we have to do differently.”

Oshiomole said that the 10th Senate would also look into the issue of petroleum products.

“We still see long queues and each time I see the queues I feel agitated because I fought against these obnoxious policies when I was the President of NLC.

“We must take a radical action to ensure that the petrol we consume is refined in Nigeria.

”I will not go to the senate to lament but make laws that would be enforced,” Oshiomhole said.

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun, Mr Muritala Audu, has urged Nigerians to unite behind the President-Elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, for the growth and development of the country.

Audu, in statement on Monday in Lagos, congratulated Tinubu on his victory at the Presidential election on Feb. 25.

“I congratulate Asiwaju Tinubu and urge Nigerians to unite to secure our growth and development as a nation,” he said.

Urging electorate to support Gov. Dapo Abiodun’s second-term bid in Ogun, Audu described the governor as a performer “whose class towers far above other contenders in the race ahead of the March 11 2023 general election.”

He said that Abiodun’s second term would attract many great developments to the state.

“When it comes to governor of Ogun state, and all state representatives across the state, the present occupier of the Oke Mosan is by all standard a performer.

“A governor who within a short stint has turned the tide of Ogun State for good. Prince Dapo Abiodun has virtually delivered on many of his electoral promises.

“A second term for Gov. Dapo Abiodun will translate to good political fortunes for the state, most especially now that we have a Yoruba man as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as he is likely to as a ranking governor be imbued with the required clout to influence greater development to the state.

“A governor can only become so powerful in the FEC/State and earn influential and decisive Federal projects to the state only if he is a second term governor,” Audu said.

According to him, only top-performing governors get to feature in office for second term.

He said that a powerful position could only be given to a ranking governor “not a rookie”, hence the reasons why the electorate should vote for Abiodun for second term in order to become a ranking governor.

Audu said that this could place Abiodun at a vantage position to earn a position like Chairman of Governor’s Forum or Chairman of APC Governors forum that would in turn help to attract developments to Ogun.

“A dedicated and committed party leader like Dapo Abiodun, who has made us proud in every aspect of governance, should be elected at the next general election,” he said.

The chieftain, however, urged party leaders whom the governor might have offended in the course of duty, to forgive and close rank with him.

“I see victory at the end of the tunnel, come March 11, with Prince Dapo Abiodun on the ballot for Ogun,” Audu said.

He added that other representatives of the State Assembly, who had equally proved their mettle should enjoy revalidation of their mandate for the benefits of all. (