A little drama played out at the members All Progressives Congress (APC) convention on Saturday as Dr. Dikko Radda, a governorship aspirant from Katsina state outshined other governorship aspirants from the state.
Officials and members the ruling party gathered at Eagles Square to elect new set of leaders of the party in the 2023 general elections.
Dr. Dikko Radda is the Director-General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). He was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 and reappointed in 2021.
Many political heavyweights from the state planned to steal the show, but Dr Radda’s posters and the teeming youth singing his name silenced them.
Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state, who is in his second term of eight years, has not disclosed who will succeed him at the expiration of his mandate in 2023.
The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Ahmed Babba Kaita and Managing Director of Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Ahmed Dangiwa, are some of the leading politicians eyeing Masari’s seat.
But according to sources, Radda is being groomed to succeed Governor Masari and has the backing of top party officials in the state.
Our correspondent observes how Radda’s banners, posters and billboards flooded the capital city on Sunday.
A source claimed that Dr. Dikko Radda is enjoying overwhelming support from especially women and youth, saying his empowerment programmes earned him the love.
He said that Radda’s popularity among youth is what makes some heavy party stalwarts in the state to root for him to succeed the outgoing governor.
“Even the president and some other top shots of the party in Katsina state are secretly rooting for him because of his popularity. To the best of my knowledge, Radda may emerge consensus candidate of the party when the time comes. During COVID-19 pandemic Dr. Dikko Radda rolled out a plan and palliatives were given to thousands of people, including monetary packages.
“This was not only to his ward or the local government area he hails from. The man has Katsina state in the heart. I think he is the right man to unite us.”
A lady, Laura Musa, claimed that Radda has the backing of the youth, said what Katsina needs is someone energetic, with listening ears.
She said Dr Radda is a candidate to beat and the right man to unite us once more, adding his education programme alone is enough to convince the people of Katsina state that he is the right candidate.
Drama as Dikko Radda outshines Katsina gov’ship aspirants at APC convention
