…APGA Candidate Promises Jobs, Better Schools, and Grassroots Governance
By Umar Bello, Abuja
The APGA governorship candidate for Taraba State, Hon. Danjuma Usman Shiddi, popularly known as Danji SS, says his decision to contest in 2027 is driven by the plight of youths, teachers and rural communities who he says have been left behind.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, Shiddi accused the APC-led administration of Governor Agbu Kefas of disconnecting from the grassroots and failing to invest in people.
He said governance in the last three years has been top-down, quoting the governor: “Nobody can advise me if he has not been a governor.”
“If our youths had jobs, if our teachers were being paid well, if our hospitals were working, I would not be contesting. I would go and ask him to support me back to the House of Reps. But the people are suffering,” he said.
The former lawmaker described the state’s free education policy as “a scam without sincerity.”
“I am a product of free education. But today, teachers are not motivated. Classrooms are empty of materials. My government will employ qualified teachers, retrain those we have, and give students a conducive place to learn,” he promised.
He said welfare for teachers and proper funding for schools would be a top priority because “no state can grow without education.”
Danji SS also said thousands of Taraba youths are idle due to lack of opportunities in agriculture and small businesses.
He lamented the state of healthcare, alleging that despite huge loans, no hospital in Taraba treats liver or kidney cases, forcing patients to travel to Gombe and other states.
“That is not acceptable. We will fix primary healthcare centers, bring in specialists, and make sure rural people don’t die from treatable illnesses,” he added.
The APGA candidate listed his five key focus areas as: Security, Agriculture, Healthcare, Education, and Infrastructure.
He pledged a government of transparency, accountability and inclusion that will work directly with youth groups, women groups, and traditional rulers in all 16 LGAs.
“My appeal to Tarabans is simple: Don’t vote for deceit in 2027. Vote for competence. Vote for someone who understands your pain at the grassroots,” he said.
Hon. Danjuma Usman Shiddi represented Wukari/Ibi Federal Constituency for two terms in the 8th and 9th National Assembly.
He is also a former officer of the Department of State Services, DSS.
