…Promises people-centred governance
The Kaduna State governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Usman Shehu Bawa, has raised concerns over the state’s rising debt profile, describing it as a major threat to sustainable development, while promising inclusive governance, improved security and accountability if elected governor.
Bawa popularly known as ABG made the remarks on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during a one-on-one policy dialogue with governorship candidates in Kaduna State, organised by the Partnership for Issue-Based Campaign (PICaN).
Speaking during the engagement, the PDP candidate alleged that Kaduna State’s total public debt had escalated to approximately ₦1 trillion, warning that the debt burden could undermine the government’s ability to provide essential services and improve residents’ living conditions.
“Currently, Kaduna State is in a debt trap. The total public debt of Kaduna State is ₦1 trillion,” Bawa said.
He further claimed that the debt translated into a significant financial burden for residents, arguing that the state needed a more accountable and sustainable approach to public borrowing and expenditure.
According to him, the state’s debt profile, alongside poverty, poor learning outcomes and high out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, underscores the need for a new approach to governance.
Bawa cited figures, shown that Kaduna State’s external debt stood at $684.29 million, while its external debt-to-revenue ratio had risen to 312.66 per cent, exceeding the 150 per cent limit he referenced during his presentation.
He also highlighted what he described as persistent development challenges in the state, including multidimensional poverty, learning poverty and the high cost of accessing healthcare.
However, the figures presented by the candidate were not independently verified at the event.
In his presentation, Bawa compared Kaduna State’s debt profile under previous PDP administrations between 1999 and 2015 with the period of All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations from 2015 onward.
He claimed that the state’s external debt increased from $226.37 million during the period he associated with PDP administrations to $684.29 million under APC administrations.
He also put domestic debt at ₦49.85 billion during the PDP period and ₦84.64 billion during the APC period.
Explaining why he considered the comparison necessary, the candidate said his proposed administration would be guided by the PDP manifesto and would prioritise continuity in policies that deliver tangible benefits to residents.
“I am a PDP candidate, and my manifesto is guided by the PDP manifesto,” he said.
He added that governance should be driven by clear policy commitments rather than political arguments over borrowing.
“I believe that if it is a PDP government, I will take those policies and make sure we actualise them. What we do in the PDP is to go by the manifesto of the party,” Bawa stated.
Outlining his policy agenda, the governorship hopeful promised to adopt a bottom-up approach to governance, insisting that communities must have a direct say in determining their development priorities.
He said his administration, if elected, would engage stakeholders across the state’s 255 wards to identify local needs and ensure that public resources were allocated according to the priorities of individual communities.
“Our approach is a bottom-up approach, not a top-bottom approach,” he said.
Bawa explained that if his government had a budget of ₦100 billion, for instance, the resources would be distributed across the state’s three senatorial zones, with stakeholders consulted to determine the most pressing needs of each area.
“We want to build the bridges in the exact wards that need those bridges, not build boreholes where you do not need them or build classrooms where you do not need them,” he said.
According to him, direct consultation with communities would help prevent wasteful spending and ensure that government projects address the actual needs of the people.
He also pledged equitable governance and fair distribution of resources, stressing the importance of building trust among the different religious and social groups in Kaduna State.
Kaduna, which has a diverse population of Muslims and Christians, requires an inclusive governance model that gives communities a sense of belonging, he suggested.
The PDP candidate identified security, healthcare, education, infrastructure, economic empowerment and institutional accountability as key priorities of his proposed administration.
He said a secure and peaceful state would create an enabling environment for residents to live and prosper, while also restoring confidence among businesses and investors.
Bawa further promised to improve access to healthcare and education, strengthen social protection and create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow.
He said his development agenda would focus on human capital development, justice, peacebuilding, infrastructure, institutional reforms, innovation, technology, agriculture and environmental sustainability.
ENDs
Source: Politics Archives – New Telegraph
