A chieftain if the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Dr Sule Iko-Sami, has said President Bola Tinubu has already begun a door-to-door campaign through infrastructure development, describing the approach as an excellent economic policy that is improving connectivity and supporting agrarian communities across the country.
The remarks come amid renewed attention on door-to-door political campaigns for President Tinubu following the launch of a grassroots movement, spearheaded by businessman, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, that focuses on direct engagement with communities, households and ordinary Nigerians through local volunteers. The initiative also places emphasis on women and youth empowerment as part of its community outreach efforts.
“Mr. President has already started his door-to-door with his infrastructure. I just got back from the village. There is a 1,008-kilometer road from Sokoto to Badagry. Do you know what that does? It actually crosses along all agrarian communities in the entire Northern Nigeria. That is door-to-door for me, and this has started long ago. And this is one of the most important infrastructure we have had in this part of our country in the last 60 years. It’s a dual carriage road for 1,000 kilometers across North to South. And it’s happening in states. That is more than door-to-door; that’s actually engaging Nigerians, engaging people that actually deserve to be engaged, which are the people in our suburbs and our communities.
“So, in my opinion, that is an excellent economic policy. It’s infrastructure at play, and it will also go a long way in touching every part of the agrarian community in the northern part of Nigeria across the Niger. So, that is door-to-door for me, and that will go a long way in touching the lives of Nigerians,” he maintained.
Responding to concerns that the initiative could violate Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act, Dr Iko-Sami refuted the claim, arguing that an incumbent government is entitled to engage citizens by communicating its policies and achievements. He maintained that such engagement does not amount to unlawful electioneering but is part of informing Nigerians about government programmes.
“No, we are not violating. As an incumbent government that is actually bestowing a policy on ground, it has the right to do engagement of its inhabitants or the citizens of the country via propagating the policy of government—what the government is doing—at every corner.
“Because one of the challenges we are having in this government today is that the very good policies of the President, of our governors, in our suburbs and our communities are not adequately propagated.
“So, that door-to-door engagement is actually a role of the National Orientation Agency to be able to engage in doing that. So, that is not actually a flagrant violation of any law of election, I can assure you that,” he insisted.
Commenting on the delay in announcing President Tinubu’s running mate, the APC chieftain urged Nigerians to focus on the administration’s policies and achievements rather than speculation. He noted that the deadline for submitting a vice-presidential candidate had not elapsed and expressed confidence that the President would unveil his choice before the stipulated date.
“We have July 11th; that is actually the deadline. Let’s try and be focused on constructive issues, on issues that will touch everyone—you and I. He will reveal it. But as for now, we have a vice president seated, Kashim Shettima. We have the President seated. So, why are we talking about something way ahead?”, he quizzed.
Speaking on reports by a UNICEF-affiliated NGO alleging that hundreds of people had died from malnutrition in Kebbi State, Iko-Sami dismissed the claims as “fake news”, alleging they were politically motivated.
“The issue of infant mortality, it was a report that was actually fake news. And why it’s fake news is because the particular NGO doing that might have been influenced by one political body or the other. And I understand they actually apologized. That was a very long time ago,” he claimed.
Adding, he argued that the allegations were particularly concerning because, according to him, the Kebbi State Government has continued to invest heavily in healthcare, describing Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris, the governor of Kebbi state as a caring and concerned leader.
“But the reason why this is very important is because the government is investing so much in healthcare and all that. So, for you to see this kind of fake news thrown around over the death of children is something that is a worry. Because my governor is actually a very, very caring governor, he is very concerned.”
He also defended the removal of the APC state chairman following the bye-election, saying the party acted over poor grassroots mobilisation despite winning the poll.
“And for the issue of the bye-election, some people that have the mandate to be able to do mobilization, to be able to inform people about the right time of election, have not done very well. And guess what? Our APC won that election. But the governor didn’t wear that because he felt that some leaders of the party, particularly the head, had actually not done well in mobilization and all that. The party actually sanctioned him. They did a disciplinary action, and the particular chairman was sent away. That is a governor that is actually resilient, that is a governor that is committed,” he said.
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