Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has flagged off the Tinubu/Dikko Women and Youth Centre across the state’s 34 local government areas as part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The initiative, established by former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema, also featured the inauguration of women and youth leaders into newly constituted leadership structures. The member representing Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, was appointed Director General of the centre.
Speaking at the inauguration through the Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Manir Ayuba Sullubawa, Governor Radda urged APC candidates and party leaders to sustain grassroots mobilisation and remain committed to engaging supporters, warning against complacency despite securing party tickets.
The governor emphasised the need for continuous interaction with communities to strengthen the party’s support base ahead of the next general elections.
In a separate engagement, Governor Radda called for renewed efforts to tackle voter apathy while declaring open the 14th National Delegates Conference of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria (FOSIECON) in Katsina.
He said credible local government elections remain essential to strengthening the independence and credibility of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), while also restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Radda cited Katsina State’s 2025 local government elections as an example, noting that the polls produced 34 local government chairmen and 361 councillors without a single legal challenge, a development he attributed to the transparency and peaceful conduct of the exercise.
The governor urged electoral stakeholders to continue promoting reforms that would enhance confidence in elections and encourage greater participation by eligible voters.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of FOSIECON and Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, Mamman Nda Eri, described the delegates’ conference as an important platform for reviewing challenges confronting electoral administration at the state level and sharing best practices aimed at improving the conduct of local government elections across the country.
