Joan Mohammed, a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant vying to represent Biu/Bayo/Kwaya-Kusar/Shani Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Borno State, said leadership ineptitude is responsible for the lingering insecurity in the country.
Joan made these remarks after a successful campaign in some areas dominated by Boko Haram in her constituency deserted by politicians.
“They (aspirants) said none can go there because there was Boko Haram there, I replied I would go,” she said. “Let me tell you I went to the remote communities and delivered my campaign harmless. All I could hear was ‘Sai Mama!’ and no one threatened to harm any of us. When we were coming back, they escorted us for a while with their motorcycles. They need to be taken care of.”
She said the decades-long insecurity in the country is connected to poor leadership, stressing that one of the factors that fueled the violence, particularly in the North-East is the lack of accountability from the leaders.
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Joan, however, alleged that she contested for the same seat in 2019 but her mandate was “hijacked” and she was denied to represent the constituency despite votes cast in her favour.
Being part of the North-East PDP women trained by the International Republican Institutes (IRI) in a one-day sensitization workshop in Bauchi State, Joan urged governments at all levels to support the campaigns for women’s inclusion in politics by implementing the 35% women allocation policy. This, according to her, would enhance Nigeria’s democracy and bridge the existing gender-based disparities.
Babaji Usman Babaji is an investigative journalist with over four years of experience, renowned for his impactful reporting on corruption, human rights violations, and holding those in power accountable in Nigeria.
His career is distinguished by participation in numerous media training programs and conferences, which have honed his investigative and reporting skills. Babaji’s data-driven stories have made a significant impact, particularly in Northern Nigeria, shedding light on critical issues and driving meaningful change.
As a reporter under WikkiTimes’ Collaborative Media (CMEDIA) Project, Babaji has led several groundbreaking investigations. He was a 2022 fellow of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and a 2024 Media Foundation for West Africa DPI/DPG fellow. His contributions to accountability journalism earned him a Certificate of Recognition from Xchange Hama Media for impactful community work.
