By; MIKE ODEH JAMES
He is not the typical politician that hypes on fathomed achievements which do not glorify or better the lot of citizens whom they are supposed to uplift.
Similarly, he is not the type of political icon that thrives on campaign of calumny, nor involves himself in tirades against political opponents.
The Mr.LA or Mr.Lawal Adamu Usman is the Peoples Democratic Party’s senatorial candidate for Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone in the coming general election in 2023.This won’t be the first time, MR.LA is gunning for the ticket .
In 2019, he after pulling out of the All Progressive Congress, he ported to the PDP and emerged as the party’s flag bearer . At the election proper, he beat Senator Shehu Sani of the People’s Redemption Party to a third place while loosing narrowly to Senator Uba Sani of the APC .
Lawal Adamu had alleged that the PDP won all the 23 local government areas of the state but was rigged out.
Many political pundits agreed that that Mr.LA actually won the election in 2019
Having gone through the due process of the law, Lawal Adamu moved on. However, he was never far away from the people of Kaduna and Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone .
In 2020 , the state government under the leadership of Nasiru El Rufai increases the tution fees of all the tertiary institutions in the state by 100 percent .As a result, many of the students dropped amidst protests from their parents .In stepped LA,he promised succour for students who could not pay their tution fee.
On June 29, Lawal Adamu Usman popular called Mr.LA, redeemed his promise by paying the school fees of 100 indigent students of state owned tertiary institutions in the state.
The beneficiary were students from Kaduna State University (KASU), Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic in Zaria and College of Education, Gidan Waya in Kafanchan.
Adamu Usman said over 10,000 students had applied for the scholarship but they were able to provide for 100 students in the first batch.
According to him,”the foundation earmarked N30 million for the scholarship this year.Next year, we hope to increase the amount to N50 million in order to accommodate more students.”
“We have commenced payment of the beneficiary student’s tuition fees with the scholarship. We are paying N107, 000 for returning students and N150, 000 for new students,” he said.
Before then, at the height of the onslaught by Covide-19 and the resultant lockdown by the Federal Government, Lawal Adamu Usman, bought food and other relief materials worth N10 million for people in Kaduna North Local Government Area.
He said the items were his stimulus package to aid constituents of the seven local government areas that made up the Kaduna Central Senatorial District.
Just at the time he donated N10,million to Kaduna, the PDP chieftain also donated another N10 million through the Mr LA Cares Foundation for the purchase of food items to be distributed to 81 Wards of the seven Local Government Areas of Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone.
According to Comrade Mohammed Dahiru Umar, Mr. LA actually spent over N100 million each for Kaduna North and Kaduna Central Zones .
Comrade Umar, went on to say that Lawal Adamu Usman has always had the masses in his mind .
“If you noticed, even though Mr.LA is not yet a senator, he has done more than many senators have done for their constituents.
“The masses are always close to his thought,” Umar added.
Similarly the PDP chieftain has touched lives of millions of people in his constituency, Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone either through his empowerment scheme or through the Lawal Adamu Foundation.
Comrade Umar believes that another advantage that his principal had over his closest rival is the fact that he is younger than most of the his opponents. “
“He is in his 40s, outgoing and very sociable .if you look at the average age of the voters, you would know that those that would vote would prefer younger candidates such as Lawal Adamu Usman.
Mr.Ovyeh Alkau a Kaduna based financial expert could agree more with Comrade Umar . He went a step further to act, even the female voters are going to be queuing behind the PDP candidate.
“During our last town Hall meeting last week in Sabo Kaduna, most of those that attended were young women , middle aged women.
They attended based on the fact they see Lawal as some one closer to them in age and he would have their ears when they speak.
Above all, they feel that Lawal would bring about good policies that would better the lot of women than the other candidates.
” It is light of all these that our women are determined to convince other women to join the fray in voting Lawal Adamu Usman, he added.
With the absent of Senator Shehu Sani and Uba Sani of the PDP and APC from the Kaduna Central zone election come 2023, the coast is much clear for Lawal Adamu to emerge as the Senator representing Kaduna Central. Mr LA has the advantage of being the most popular of the all the contestants in the race .
He is also the most liked going by his constant selfless services to the people in his constituency.
Another factor that would help his race to the upper legislative House is the ruling APC in Kaduna State has over the past years implemented policies that have pauparized the masses most of them who would be voting in the 2023 general election.
APC candidates would definitely be at the end of the voters anger while Mr LA who have over the years cultivated the loyalty of the people the would be the major beneficiary of the the harsh policies of the Governor Ahmed El Rufai administration .
In the run up to the 2023 Presidential polls, PDP presidential flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar is mostly to win Kaduna State, similarly , a vote for Atiku would also translate to a vote for the PDP candidate for Kaduna South Senatorial candidate – Lawal Adamu.
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While not taking anything away from the candidates of the APC, PRP and the LP in the race for Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, Mr Lawal Adamu Usman do have the upper hand.
Going by the current trend, he is bound to be the next senator of the zone.
Mike Odeh James is a Kaduna based journalist
