Obute James
- Warns against imposition of candidates
Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, the representative of Kaduna North Senatorial District and Chairman Senate Committee on National Population and National Identity in an interview with journalists in Abuja warned against automatic ticket and imposition of candidate on the electorate.
Hunkuyi who is also the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs was responding to a question on the statement credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun who noted that automatic ticket will be given to certain elective public office holders, including President Muhammad Buhari in 2019.
Odigie-Oyegun on Monday May 29 in Abuja while addressing the media on the midterm scorecard of the APC-led administration said President Muhammad Buhari will be given automatic ticket in 2019.
Hunkuyi who expressed his gratitude to God and Nigerians for ushering APC into power in 2015 however warned against anti-democratic forces.
According to him, issuance of automatic ticket to politicians going for another term in office, imposition of candidates and other anti-democratic practices were responsible for the downfall of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Hunkuyi said. if Buhari won the APC primary election in 2014 when he was not in the office as president he sees no difficulty for him in contesting and winning the APC primary election now that he is the President of Nigeria and Leader of APC.
He said in order to avoid the mistakes of PDP and in compliance with APC constitution, the issue of automatic ticket and imposition of candidates should not be entertained.
Hunkuyi who also thanked the party, APC for its leadership role in a challenging times like these, identified security, fight against corruption, entrenchment of transparency, ability to pay workers’ salaries and allowances among other things despite the recession as some of the major achievements of the APC-led federal government in the last two years.
On the legislative arm, he said despite some obvious challenges, the lawmakers were able to passed several bills in the 8th National Assembly. He particularly mentioned Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which was passed into law recently. The PIB was initiated in the 4th National Assembly in 1999 but was only passed into law last month by the 8th National Assembly.
Responding to Free Medical Programme he flagged up recently in Zaria, he said the electorate that voted them into power deserve the best from them.
“So I will be willing to render any service within my power unto them,“ Hunkuyi said.
Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi recently flagged up two free medical programmes at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria. The first phase of his programme enabled about 500 people with eye problems had free surgical operation at ABU Teaching Hospital. The second phase of the programme also allowed about 500 patients had free general surgical operation such as hernia, lipoma, appendicitis, fibroid, hydroceles etc.
