Retired general joins Gombe governorship race

Sylvester Audu, a retired army general, has joined the governorship race in Gombe state under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Audu picked his nomination form at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

Addressing journalists, he said he is contesting the election in response to the “consistent yearnings of the people of Gombe state.”

Audu, who was a commandant of the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) in Kontagora, Niger, promised “zero tolerance” of insecurity in the state if elected governor.

He added that he was in the race to advance the developmental milestone in the state and improve on the works of Ibrahim Dankwambo, the incumbent governor.

“The people thought it wise and asked me to come out and vie for the governorship seat of Gombe state and that is why I am in the race,” he said.

“In my master plan, I took consideration of the large population of subsistent farmers in Gombe and it is my plan to improve the farming system, introduce state of the art storage facilities with a link to international trade.

“The state education curriculum shall also be redesigned to key into entrepreneurial and vocational skills whereby the state shall engage in international skill exchanges with the aim to combat unemployment among graduates.

“We will also look to boost human capacity and capital development, inclusive governance, financial discipline, accountability and transparency. And we are going to have a policy of zero tolerance for security breaches to create a conducive environment for socio-economic prosperity in the state.”