By Aminu Dalhatu
The Zamfara State Government has urged social media influencers to promote issue-based political campaigns by highlighting the achievements and policies of the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal rather than engaging in personal attacks, insults or unsubstantiated criticism.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Nura Abdullahi Tsafe, made the call during a two-day workshop and distribution of Android smartphones to 210 social media influencers drawn from the 14 local government areas of the state.
Nura Tsafe explained that, the initiative was designed to appreciate and encourage individuals who have been using social media platforms to publicise government activities and communicate the achievements of the Dauda Lawal administration.
He said the programme was approved by the governor to strengthen the capacity of the selected influencers and provide them with the necessary tools to reach a wider audience.
According to him, the 210 beneficiaries were carefully selected across the 14 local government areas, adding that, the distribution of the Android phones was an incentive to motivate them to intensify their efforts in promoting the government’s development agenda.
The Special Adviser emphasised that the workshop was not intended to encourage attacks on opposition parties or political opponents but to equip participants with information and evidence about the administration’s achievements.
Nura Abdullahi Tsafe urged the influencers to avoid insults, personal attacks and unnecessary criticism, stressing that, their campaigns should be anchored on verifiable facts and the policies and programmes being implemented by the government.
Tsafe expressed confidence that, Governor Lawal’s performance would earn him another mandate in the 2027 general elections, saying that, the administration had recorded significant achievements in different sectors of the state.
He described the initiative as the first of its kind organised by his office and expressed satisfaction with the level of participation and the successful selection of the beneficiaries.
Also speaking, a lecturer at the Federal University Gusau, Dr Aminu Muhammad Lawal, called for issue-based political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying that, political parties and their supporters should focus on achievements, policies and development plans rather than name-calling and personal attacks.
Dr Lawal observed that, when Governor Dauda Lawal sought the mandate of the people in 2023, many voters elected him based on their hopes and confidence in his promises, but that he was now seeking another mandate on the strength of his performance in office.
He said the governor had made considerable progress in implementing his six-point agenda, revealing that, much remained to be done to take the state to its desired level of development.
Dr Lawal maintained that the governor’s records should form the basis of political campaigns, noting that, the people deserve to understand what the administration has achieved and what it intends to accomplish if re-elected.
While highlighting developments in the health sector, the university lecturer said the administration had made significant improvements through the recruitment of medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists.
He explained that the recruitment had helped address the shortage of qualified healthcare workers in public hospitals, thereby improving the delivery of medical services to residents.
Dr Lawal also cited the upgrading, renovation and reconstruction of several healthcare facilities, including general hospitals, primary healthcare centres and dispensaries in rural communities.
He said the governor had exceeded his expectations in the health sector, particularly in addressing longstanding challenges affecting healthcare delivery across the state as well as other sectors achievements
On education, the lecturer described the payment of outstanding West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees as a major intervention, explaining that the development had provided thousands of previously affected students with the opportunity to continue their education.
He noted that many young people had been unable to proceed with their education because of unpaid examination fees, adding that the government’s intervention had helped remove the financial barrier and created opportunities for them to return to school.
The two-day workshop was attended by social media influencers from the 14 local government areas of Zamfara State, with 210 participants benefiting from the distribution of Android smartphones.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
