The Nasarawa State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reforms are driven by data and not sentiments.
Wadada stated this on Saturday in Lafia at a leadership summit organised by Friends 4 Wadada to discuss governance and the future of Nasarawa State.
He said Tinubu’s reliance on data for policy formulation and implementation distinguished his administration from previous governments.
“The difference between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other leaders is that his administration works with data. Everything in the administration of Tinubu goes with data-driven policy,” Wadada said.
He challenged critics of the administration to assess its performance against available economic data, arguing that the government had recorded significant progress in economic growth and development.
“The Tinubu administration has done extremely well as far as economic growth and development are concerned,” he said.
Wadada, however, acknowledged that the administration still had more work to do, stressing that recognising progress did not mean that all challenges had been resolved.
He said any objective assessment of the government must be based on available data rather than sentiments.
On his governorship ambition, Wadada said his aspiration was driven by a sense of responsibility rather than desperation for political power.
“For me, leadership has never been about occupying an office. Leadership is about accepting responsibility. It is about understanding the problems of our people and having the courage, the competence and commitment to address them,” he said.
He said effective leadership required humility and close interaction with the people, arguing that leaders could not properly understand citizens’ needs without engaging with them at the grassroots.
“What the people want is a government that they can trust, a government that listens, a government that responds and delivers measurable results,” Wadada said.
Wadada pledged that if elected governor, his administration would consolidate the achievements of the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, rather than abandon projects and policies initiated by the current government.
He said the next generation of leadership should strengthen existing institutions, complete ongoing projects and create new opportunities for development.
“You will not be wrong in any way and form to say that Wadada’s administration will be an extension of Abdullahi Sule’s government. We shall scale up in every aspect of development that the administration of Abdullahi Sule has done,” he said.
On Nasarawa State, Wadada said his aspiration is driven by responsibility and not desperation for power.
“For me, leadership has never been about occupying an office. Leadership is about accepting responsibility. It is about understanding the problems of our people and having the courage, the competence and commitment to address them,” he said.
He said true leadership demands humility and closeness to the people.
“Leadership is not about sitting on a high horse. There is no way you will know what the people need or require if you do not relate with them, not only on the surface but also down to the lower part of the ladder.
“What the people want is a government that they can trust, a government that listens, a government that responds and delivers measurable results,” he said.
Wadada assured that his government would consolidate on the achievements of Governor Abdullahi Sule if elected.
“The responsibility of the next generation of leadership must not be to discard what has been built but to consolidate on the gains, strengthen the institutions, complete what needs to be completed and open new frontiers of development.
“You will not be wrong in any way and form to say that Wadada’s administration will be an extension of Abdullahi Sule’s government. We shall scale up in every aspect of development that the administration of Abdullahi Sule has done,” he said.
