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 By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo 

Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) councillors from Southern Kaduna have decried the incessant attacks on their communities by gunmen and resolved that  the PDP Senatorial candidate of the zone in 2023, Barrister Sunday Marshall Katung has the national and International network to make their zone better.

While speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday,Hon. Obed Danjuma Gankon,Chairman of the PDP Concillors’ Forum, said  Southern Kaduna, just like other zones in Kaduna State, has been on the wrong side of news, owing to the criminal activities of terrorists. 

“These terrorists have ransacked our villages, rape our Women, killed and kidnapped our brethren, including children. They have destroyed our communities, leaving our citizens homeless,” he said.

Danjuma Gankon who was together with all the PDP councillors and other stakeholders from the Kaduna South Senatorial District , said they believe in the capacity of Barrister Marshall Katung to represent their zone, adequately. 

He said “you will recall that our great party, the PDP conducted the Senatorial primary of the Kaduna South Senatorial district on the 24th May 2022 in Kafanchan, Jema’a local government area of Kaduna State. The exercise which was conducted in a serene environment and devoid of rancour, was the fairest and credible in the history of party primaries in the Senatorial Zone. At the end of the exercise, Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung, a former Member of the House of Representatives emerged victorious with 112 votes.”

“We, therefore, invited you here to express our profound appreciation to members of our party, and delegates for the peaceful manner in which the exercise was conducted and to congratulate the winner of the senatorial primary as well as other aspirants who emerged victorious at the primary elections. They were elected candidates of our party among hundreds of their fellow aspirants not because they are in anyway better than them, but because it was the will of God for them, hence our decision to return thanks to God and to the delegates for their decisions.”

“It is on this note that we invited you, Gentlemen of the Press, to tell you that we are throwing our weight behind the decision of our party members. We declare our solidarity and vote of confidence on the decision of the delegates and to the elected candidates. We accept the decision of the delegates as the will of God and therefore appeal to members of our party to remain united and ensure the party’s victory in all elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.”

“We believe in the capacity of Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung to represent Kaduna South Senatorial district adequately.”

“We need not remind you that the Southern Kaduna, just like other zones in Kaduna State, has been on the wrong side of news, owing to the criminal activities of terrorists. These terrorists have ransacked our villages, rape our Women, killed and kidnapped our brethren, including children.”

“They have destroyed our communities, leaving our citizens homeless. With impunity, these terrorists have continued to carry out attacks on our communities unchallenged. Apart of insecurity, our zone is also suffering from infrastructural decay, owing to government’s negligence. We are suffering from lack of roads, lack of electricity, lack of healthcare system and industries.”

“Our zone has been disadvantaged for a long time, hence our resolve to support the candidature of Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung.”

“We need someone who the whole Kaduna South senatorial District and Southern Kaduna can believe in, someone who has the will and the courage to see justice prevail and ensure fairness to the citizens. We need someone who has the capacity to see beyond rhetorics, someone who has the National and International network to make our zone better, someone who can change the negative narrative of the zone for the better. We need someone with capacity to influence and attract development to the zone and we are in  dare need of someone that can unite the people.”

“Make no mistake, the task ahead is indeed, daunting, but surmountable. A better Southern Kaduna is possible and we cannot afford to experiment at this time. We need a visionary Senator that will set the agenda and make the zone better, we need a senator that would pull all our elected representatives together in unity  for the general good of our people. We need a stabilizer in Southern Kaduna, someone who can wash away the anguish of our people after years of hopelessness and despair, someone who can rekindle the hope of our IDPs, students, farmers and our ravaged communities. We need someone who can hit the ground running from day one.”

” In our opinion, Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung is that person who has the character, competence, capability and compassion to get things done. Katung is the most experienced, qualified and a trustworthy person to stabilize the zone. We believe, Katung  has the capacity to collaborate with government at all levels to address the constant attacks and killing of our people by these criminal terrorists.”

“The time to get things done is now, and we cannot afford to sit on the fence, hence our appeal to all citizens of Southern Kaduna to rally round and support the emergence of Barr. Katung as the Senator of the senatorial District in 2023. Let us join forces and take our zone away from the constant tears to prosperity, from anguish to peace, from ruin to development, from despair to hope,  the area that people run to, and not away from. “

“As elected Councillors of our great party, we are restating our commitment, loyalty and readiness to work for the success of PDP; for the success of Atiku Abubakar as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for the success of Alh. Isa Mohammed Ashiru as Governor of Kaduna State, for the success of Hon. Barr. Sunday Marshall Katung as Senator of our zone, and for the success of all our National and State House of Assembly candidates in the 2023 general elections.”

“We are also pledging to mobilize our supporters, millions of our members and the general public towards the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election.”

” While we congratulate all those that emerged at the various primaries, we wish to appeal to aspirants who were not so lucky at the primaries to join hands with us to ensure the success of the party in the secondary elections. We sincerely appreciate them for deepening democratic ethos and practices within the party by participating in the elections.”

 ” We equally charge all members, regardless of affiliation, faith, gender, and age, to work harder to deliver all our Candidates come 2023.As one, we get it done.”