The member representing Munya/Rafi/Shiroro constituency of Niger state in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abubakar Chika Adamu, has stated that he won’t be seeking to retain the seat in the 2019 election because Nigerians perceive National Assembly members as “thieves and looters”.
Speaking with DAILY POST at the House Press Corps centre on Wednesday, the first-term lawmaker, who came into the House in 2015, said he voluntarily decided to quit and would not seek re-election because of the stereotype of “thieves and looters” as well as “lack of public trust” trailing members of the National Assembly.
He said, “There is lack of public trust, which make the people call us thieves. I have a daughter who told me one day, Daddy, I don’t want to tell people that you are a politician because they say all politicians are thieves.”
The Niger state Reps member said he was going back to his first love as an academic, stating that politics in Nigeria has acquired a negative connotation that often scares men of sound character and integrity from participating.
He added that he did not come to National Assembly to provide tricycles (Keke) or motorcycles to his constituent but to build institutional structures that will eradicate poverty once and for all from the society.
“I did not come here to provide keke or motorcycles. Governors and Local Government Chairmen can do that. I am here to create institutional structures that will lift people out of poverty,” he noted.
According to Adamu, he had been both a Special Assistant and a Commissioner under Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, and had never collected any money from anybody, either as a politician or public servant, to influence any decision.
“I am not saying this as a campaign or whatever but facts. My salary is about N600,000.00 monthly plus N300,000 car loan. I don’t take bribes and has not taken any gift or monetary inducement from anyone, for whatever reasons except N400,000 donated to my campaign by two persons in 2015,” he claimed.
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