When Opposition Parties Go Low, Governor Radda Keeps Going High

Donatus Eleko

In politics, the electioneering campaign trail is a high-stakes course where candidates are faced with pressure and endless public appearances. In this intense environment, gaffes—those verbal missteps, awkward moments, or off-script remarks—are almost unavoidable. Gaffes are natural part of the human experience, especially in the high-pressure world of politics.

This is common among leaders globally, as they are human and are subject to mistakes. For instance, the immediate past United States president, Joe Biden, made a gaffe a few days before he left office. During a public event he fumbled through a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” forgetting both the song lyrics and the young man’s name.

The 82-year-old president’s performance, witnessed by a crowd, showed a noticeable pause during the song when he couldn’t recall the person’s name, though the recipient handled the situation graciously, smiling as Biden’s voice faded before completing the tune.

Another notable gaffe by a global leader was one that took place last September, when United Kingdom Prime Minister, Keir Starmer’s plea for peace in the Middle East went badly awry when he inadvertently called for the return of the “sausages” from Gaza in a speech at his Labour Party’s annual conference.

While the premier quickly corrected himself, footage of the awkward mistake quickly circulated on social media, detracting from his more serious message seeking to defuse tensions and asking all parties “to pull back from the brink.”

In Nigeria, during the 2015 presidential campaign, former President Goodluck Jonathan had inadvertently said ‘PDP’ instead of ‘APC.’ Similarly, in 2018, Atiku Abubakar made a similar slip while criticising the ruling party. In 2023, Peter Obi of the Labour Party momentarily mixed up party names during a rally. These instances highlight that such errors are universal and not indicators of political incompetence. Indeed, the high-pressure environment politicians face is a breeding ground for gaffes.

That is why it is disgusting to see opposition political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which ought to be focused on playing responsible opposition and fixing its broken party at the national level, exerting so much energy on a recent verbal gaffe by Governor Dikko Radda during a rally by the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the Katsina Local Government election.

 The Governor had, during a rally in the state, said, “Katsina belongs to PDP.” With that, the PDP and other political parties went to town celebrating the mistake.

However, in reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, described the incident as a natural and universal human error. He emphasized that verbal missteps are common worldwide and are a testament to Governor “Globally, verbal slip-ups are not only common but fundamentally human. Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s recent momentary linguistic deviation during the campaign flag-off at Ingawa Local Government simply reflects this reality,” he added.

Governor Radda has been a staunch member of the APC since its inception in 2014 and remains deeply committed to the party’s progressive ideology.

Far from being intentional, the governor’s verbal slip was a brief moment of human imperfection that does not diminish his unwavering loyalty to the APC and its developmental goals for Katsina State. The Chief Press Secretary noted that such errors are not unique to Governor Radda, and he urged the people of Katsina to view the incident as a minor distraction and focus on the APC’s developmental agenda under Governor Radda’s leadership.

“Katsina State, under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, remains resolute as we prepare for the February 15th local government elections. The APC is poised to achieve historic victories across all 34 local government areas. To our electorate, this momentary verbal misstep should be seen as a fleeting occurrence, overshadowed by the APC’s progressive vision for the betterment of Katsina State,” the CPS added.

The leading opposition political party in the State, the PDP, through the noise it has generated from the gaffe, has tried to cover the fact that its party in the State is gradually dying.  The PDP has continued to push the narrative of the gaffe so that people would not know that at that same rally, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, received over 40,000 defectors from various political parties, including the PDP, into the ruling party ahead of the local government polls this month.

It is, however, worthy of note that Katsina State under Governor Radda is wearing a new look as he continues to push for the transformation of the state. Let’s digress a little this compassionate and energetic Governor knows his onion he is an all-around leader making his impact felt in all sectors.

As a Governor who wants to improve the health sector of the state, oftentimes, Radda makes unannounced visits to health centres across Katsina State, to see things for himself. It’s either he drives himself or he’s accompanied by one of his security aides. He checks on patients, listens to their medical challenges, settles outstanding medical bills, offers prayers, and meticulously assesses the quality of attention given to the patients.

In terms of healthcare, under Radda’s leadership, the state now boasts 1,751 primary, secondary, and tertiary health institutions in Nigeria, with over 85 percent fully functional.

Also, under his Building Your Future blueprint, he has a target to establish comprehensive primary healthcare facilities in all 361 wards and general hospitals in each of the 34 local government areas. Radda’s diplomatic mission to World Medical Relief in Detroit, USA, has already begun yielding results, as out of the 10 containers of medical supplies and equipment secured in November 2023, one has been delivered to Katsina. Two are en route from Lagos.

Governor Radda’s dynamic developmental strides at the local government level are dismantling the old order of redundancy, unemployment, and personal insecurity. Through initiatives such as AFAN, NPK, MLGCA, house-to-house environmental listing, vigilantes, FGN MoU for vulnerable and poor registration via SOCU, submission of FYP for screening, and payment of trainees sent for metallurgical training, Governor Radda is ushering in a new era in rural areas.

In the agricultural sector, Governor Radda has prioritized fertilizer distribution, recognizing its pivotal role in the rural economy.  The noteworthy aspect lies in the organized supply, specifically targeting small farmers at the local government level, a departure from previous practices dominated by middlemen. Local government chairmen are integral to the success of this revolutionary fertilizer distribution exercise, showcasing Governor Radda’s commitment to ensuring food self-sufficiency.

The correlation between state self-sufficiency in food production and the potential reduction in issues related to insecurity and lawlessness underscores the strategic vision of Governor Dikko Radda. That is why it is nauseating that the PDP and other opposition parties that ought to be making efforts to make the state government focus on delivering the dividends of democracy are busy with inanities.

Before the governor marks his second year, he has fulfilled a significant part of his promises detailed in his Building Your Future agenda. That’s to tell you the governor knows what he’s doing. And he won’t be deterred by whatever noises orchestrated by detractors. What matters is the future of the sons and daughters of Katsina state, and the Radda we all know won’t back down from building a sustainable future.

In addendum, the statement by the PDP on the verbal slip-up goes to show that of all the important and serious issues surrounding the lives of Katsina people both at home and diaspora, the only thing the PDP in Katsina State found worthy to pay attention was a common slip of tongue by the governor.

That shows how low they are, but then, when they go low, Governor Radda will continue to go high by focusing on programmes and initiatives that will positively impact the lives of the citizens and residents of Katsina State.