The Senator representing Sokoto East Senatorial District, Ibrahim Lamido, has opened up on the reason he has decided not to seek a second term in the Senate.
Speaking with journalists in Sokoto on Monday, he explained that the Senate lacks the executive powers necessary to tackle the worsening insecurity affecting communities in the area.
He explained that his decision to pursue the governorship seat was motivated by the desire to confront the security challenges facing residents of Sokoto East directly.
According to the lawmaker, many people from the district had urged him to seek executive office, arguing that only a governor possesses the authority and resources required to effectively address banditry and other violent crimes troubling the region.
“I wanted to contest for governor because of the insecurity affecting my people. As a senator, I do not have the executive powers needed to address the situation effectively,” Lamido said.
The senator, however, did not secure the governorship ticket of the African Democratic Congress after the party adopted a consensus arrangement that produced former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Mannir Dan’iya, as its candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
Despite losing the ticket, Lamido said he would remain loyal to the ADC and work for the success of the party in the forthcoming elections.
“I will remain in the ADC and support the candidate who emerged. Politics, for me, is not about personal gain but about serving my people,” he stated.
He further disclosed that all the aspirants who contested for the party’s governorship ticket accepted the consensus arrangement in the interest of party unity.
“We were 10 aspirants, and the remaining nine have all accepted the decision reached by the party,” he added