By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

ZARIA — A coalition of youth leaders, civil society organisations, professionals and other stakeholders in Zaria Federal Constituency has endorsed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, for a second term, citing what it described as his performance and commitment to inclusive development.

The endorsement was announced on Friday by the convener of the Zaria Youth, Peace and Development Roundtable, Ishaq Alhassan Alhassan, at a gathering attended by representatives of civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, academics, youth groups, political stakeholders and members of the media.

Addressing the gathering, Alhassan said the endorsement followed a review of projects and programmes executed across the constituency over the past three years.

He explained that members of the coalition sought to assess the Speaker’s stewardship by identifying both achievements and areas requiring improvement.

According to him, the assessment was undertaken through the Zaria Youth, Peace and Development Roundtable, a non-partisan platform established to promote dialogue, accountability and citizen participation in governance.

“We did not gather to applaud anyone. We gathered to assess, verify and engage. We toured projects across the constituency, interacted with stakeholders, identified achievements, acknowledged shortcomings and made practical recommendations for improvement,” he said.

Alhassan said the assessment identified investments in education, healthcare, road infrastructure, technology, agriculture, markets, vocational training, and women and youth empowerment initiatives.

He added that participants also identified areas requiring greater attention, including maintenance of public facilities, quality assurance, transparency, community participation and the timely completion of ongoing projects.

“Those observations were openly discussed, documented and communicated because democracy thrives when leaders are held accountable and citizens remain actively engaged,” he said.

Basis for endorsement

Explaining the basis for the endorsement, Alhassan said it was informed by what he described as the Speaker’s responsiveness to public concerns, openness to engagement and consistency in delivering constituency projects.

“Our endorsement today is not driven by emotion or political convenience. It is an informed decision founded on promises made, performance delivered and the need to sustain the progress already recorded. It is the product of observation, consultation, independent assessment and sincere engagement with the people of Zaria,” he said.

He argued that continuity would provide an opportunity to complete ongoing projects, consolidate existing interventions and ensure that institutions initiated within the constituency become fully operational.

Alhassan, however, stressed that the endorsement should not be interpreted as a blank cheque, insisting that citizens would continue to demand accountability and monitor public projects.

“An endorsement is not the end of accountability. Rather, it is a renewed commitment to continue asking questions, offering constructive criticism and ensuring that every project delivers value to the people,” he said.

He called on residents of Zaria Federal Constituency to support leaders who demonstrate vision, responsiveness and a willingness to embrace constructive scrutiny.

Several leaders of the participating youth groups, civil society organisations and community associations also took turns to commend the Speaker’s interventions across the constituency and pledged to mobilise support for his re-election bid.

The Speaker had yet to publicly respond to the endorsement as of the time of filing this report.