If elected president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, has pledged to eradicate terrorists and bandits in Kaduna and other northern regions.
On Monday, Tinubu provided the promise while visiting the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area in Kaduna State to express his sympathies with the locals on the ongoing bandit attacks in the region.
Speaking to the palace of Mallam Zubairu Maigwari, the Emir of Birnin Gwari, Tinubu expressed his condolences on behalf of the people of the Emirate for the loss of life and property brought on by years of bandit raids.
He claimed that the purpose of the trip to Birnin Gwari was to gain firsthand understanding of the region and its unique socioeconomic and security difficulties, and he pledged to eradicate banditry from the area if elected president.
“I stand before you, sir, to say that there is a good opportunity coming. The election is near,” he said, adding that “we serve them notice again that we will not relent in our efforts to eliminate banditry. I can assure you, that will be our priority.”
The Emir of Birnin Gwari, for his part, applauded the APC presidential candidate for overcoming the challenges to visit the tense community, a deed he termed as unusual.
In recognition for Tinubu becoming the first presidential contender to visit the bandit-ravaged community, the Emir awarded him the chieftaincy title of Dakare of Birnin Gwari.
It is pertinent to mention that Tinubu travelled to Birnin Gwari by road amidst tight security.
The APC presidential candidate was accompanied by his running mate, Kashim Shettima; Governor Nasir El-Rufai; the Director General of the APC presidential campaign and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, the governors of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje; Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru; Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu, and the APC governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani.