By Billy Graham Abel Yola
The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Gombi/Hong federal constituency, in Adamawa state, Hyellagiziya Naiwa Fakuta says, she is in a pole position to defeat both the candidates of the All Progressives Congress and that of the PDP, in the 2023 elections for the house of representatives.
Fakuta said Nigerians are fade-up with the generation of recycled and failed politicians who so far have delivered nothing to Nigerians but suffering, betrayal, and disappointments after over two decades.
Fakuta said Nigeria has spent over twenty years in a political wilderness and Nigerians mostly women and youths are tired of the incompetence and lack of development in the country.
Fakuta made this known in a chat with newsmen in Yola, Adamawa State.
The outspoken politicians said, Nigerians are tired of stories, it is time for action and electorates are ready to topple the regime of unproductive politicians along with their political parties.
Fakuta said, most of the elected officials across the country and in her zone usually abandon their constituents for four years and become Abuja-based citizens until another time for elections, then they return to the people they have abandoned in an attempt to buy their way into power.
Nigerians are tired of that and most electorates have made up their minds to ensure that this would not work in 2023.
Women and youths in my constituency are registering en masse and most money bags seeking votes from Gombi and Hong federal constituents are in for the shock of their lives because of their nefarious seasonal plans to buy off the people they do not have time to listen to will implode.
According to Fakuta, “In our normal traditional politics in Nigeria, women like me are not expected to run for office, our place seems to have been permanently relegated to the back of the political bench.
“And many of us have accepted and naturalised it, but that is changing. Years back, if you ask me whether I will be contesting for any political office, my answer will be a straight no and I will confidently tell you that it is not possible but looking at my constituency after more than two decades in a political wilderness and after more than twenty years of misrule and poor governance, we have been having the same representation and the same multiple failures, it is obvious that something has to change.
“I had to come to my senses and ask, who has the political system so far been working for? Is it for the masses or the politicians that have been in office? The answer is obvious.
“Every year, our people complain about the same thing, we complain about the same infrastructural dearth, we complain about the same education system collapse, we complain about the same insecurity issues, we complain about virtually everything and everything still remains same.
“I said to myself it is time for someone to stand up and work for the good of our people and change the faulty governance narratives that have been the playbook of failed parties and politicians before it becomes our only reality.”
Speaking on her chances and that of her party, the ADC, and the new thinking and strategy of integrating women and youths into the party’s structure, she said, “I think we have a responsibility to take the plight of our people seriously because no matter how free and comfortable I am, if my people are in trouble or poor, I am also poor and will be troubled.
“I ask myself, why would I not go to my people and present myself as the best choice, as one of them and together let us work for our constituents and build ourselves as a community and as a society. That is the reason and the driving force for picking the form to contest.
“Our thinking is to bring into full play the one hand, dynamism and strength of our young marginalised Nigerians and on the other hand, the resourcefulness and numbers of our women.
“So, this is what is working for us right now in ADC here in Adamawa and at the top. While they are preparing money in bags to woo our people, we have already won them over with our vision and plans, we are just waiting to see how they will take the shock.
“And I have no regrets at all joining politics in 2019, although I did not win then I am glad that I did because many people voted for me, and to them am their representative and that is why they voted for me and still relate with me.
“So, I am still standing for what I believe is right and I will keep fighting until we get it right and reach a point where we begin to put the right people in power.”
Speaking on how the political system has been heavily monetized and how it could probably affect her chances and that of her party, the ABU-bred chartered accountant said, “First of all, it is true that our political system at all levels has been heavily monetized but it is also important to note that it is not in all political parties that this kind of behaviour is prevalent.
“The PDP and the current ruling party are the ones notoriously involved in this kind of politics and I think it is largely because of their legacy of failure and incompetence and it is the main reason why credible politicians need to step up and give our people the choice to change the system.
“But our people still have hope that things will be better but that hope will fade away one day if they do not see someone come out and rekindle that hope.
“Yes, the political environment has been monetized but let me tell you something, so many of our people from my place, Gombi, and Hong, are just too excited that I am coming out to run.
“They did not bother to ask how much money I have, but they have resolved this time around that they will be voting for me overwhelmingly because they said, I am the only politician that related to them on a personal level and went round and enquired about what they really needed in their constituencies.
“They said the rest just come around to spite them by throwing
money in their faces and if they keep voting based on that, it would only mean that they sold their future to power-hungry money mongers but they are confident that I am genuine.
“This is the underlying thinking in the minds of our people and Nigerians have become too aware and they now know that their future and the future of their wards are in danger.
“So, the money bags are already losing elections but the good thing is that they do not know yet and the electorates are tired and fade up with these kinds of insulting politics. The traditional money bag politics is gradually fading and losing its appeal. They could buy off the delegates but they can not buy off the electorates.
“Our people are becoming aware of their tricks designed to support and sustain their greed, incompetence, and decades of a culture of failures.
“Of course, people will always go for the money because they have been impoverished for years. But do not forget that they have heard all the lies about, “there is no money to work for the people, there is no money to do this and that, the government is broke” and then suddenly when their votes are needed after four years, then there would be money. And these politicians would begin to come around with new stories to tell them and try to buy themselves back to power.
“The electorates too have learned to get the money and still vote for candidates of their choice. That will be the miracle of the 2023 general elections.
“I and my party and several well-meaning Nigerians have intensified publicity among our people and we have educated them that the greatest insult to them from their representatives is to disappear after elections and only come back later during elections after four years of Abuja residency to dish out handouts in an attempt to force themselves into power.”
The outspoken politician challenging Nigerian youths said, “The destiny of our country is in our voter’s card, let us not be intimidated by anyone’s so-called influence or money, let us remember, they have their influence and their money but we have our God, our numbers, and our voter’s card and that is how we can make our voices heard and our presence felt. Even if they stand in our way we shall conquer.
“The future of this country is in the hands of the youths because Nigeria has a large population comprising largely of young Nigerians and women, these we will deploy into good effect in 2023. So the future of this country is in our hands but we have to rise up and take our stand.
“This is a democracy, the power is with the people and in Nigeria’s case, it is in our hands, youths, and women, and we can only give to those we want, it is God’s design to change things.”
