A former director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, has announced plans to run for the Katsina governorship election in 2027.
In an interview on DCL Hausa, Daura disclosed that he has concluded consultations on the political platform he will use and will soon make his choice public.
“I have been making consultations on the platform to use to contest, and the consultations have been concluded. Very soon, I will make the platform known,” he said.
Daura criticised the current Katsina state administration, accusing it of failing to effectively tackle insecurity and other pressing issues confronting residents.
“Why do people serve for one or two terms? If they get it right, fine. But if the reverse is the case, then there is no point in seeking re-election. It is obvious the current governor is not capable,” he said.
“It is like putting a load on somebody and adjusting it. If he complains that the load is too heavy, you have to take it down to avoid destroying fragile items.
“For the current administration, we can say thank you for your efforts, but you should take a break because you can’t continue.
“I never saw myself coming out to contest. I admire politics, but I only participated from the background. I have been interested in politics since the time of late Shehu Shagari.
“The nature of our job at the SSS brought me into close contact with politicians, but I never envisaged seeking political office.
“The security challenge is not peculiar to Katsina, but it has lingered for too long. Some prominent indigenes of Katsina, who are perturbed by the current situation, deliberated and felt that, as one of their sons, I should throw my hat into the ring to help salvage the situation.”
Daura said calls to public service should be answered unless they exceed one’s capacity, noting that he accepted the responsibility because he believed he was well suited for the task.
He served as director-general of the DSS from July 2, 2015, to August 7, 2018.
Daura was dismissed on August 12, 2018, by Nigeria’s then acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, following a security blockade at the national assembly.