Salihu Girei, a governorship aspirant in Adamawa, has promised to address the challenges of insecurity and improve the welfare of his people if elected the state’s next governor in 2027.

Mr Girei made the commitment while speaking with journalists in Abuja shortly after purchasing the All Progressives Congress expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the 2027 election in the state.

He said his vision for the Adamawa people is to build a united and prosperous state.

Mr Girei further said it was unfortunate that, though Adamawa is blessed with great resources, it still ranked amongst the poorest states in the country due to leadership.

He noted that the majority of people are farmers living in rural communities and could hardly eke out a living from their agricultural produce due to issues related to governance.

“Very few people in towns and cities rely on what farmers produce, and they are getting richer by the day, whereas the farmers are getting poorer,” he said.

According to Mr Girei, poverty can only be fought by providing free, quality education for children, irrespective of their background, as well as by empowering youths with skills.

He said he would ensure access to free medical care for women/children and boost the state’s agriculture and infrastructure if elected.

Mr Girei said, “Coming from a humble background, I understood poverty well enough and was determined to fight it to place the state in a better development position.”

He attributed issues of flooding in Adamawa to climate change and human activities.

“We have been felling trees and destroying our habitat, largely because we have not changed our old practices,” he said.

He said the state needs to be given alternatives in terms of governance and provided with more vibrant leadership opportunities to change the political landscape.

“You can’t tell people not to use firewood when you don’t provide an alternative; they have to use firewood because they have to cook. Adamawa is full of sunshine, so if you’re able to provide solar energy, people will naturally not use firewood.

“So, we are determined to change the narrative in Adamawa, and we’ll do it, believe me,” Mr Girei assured.

He described the APC expression of interest and nomination form sales as transparent, saying he had the endorsement of people across the state’s 21 local governments to join the race.

(NAN)