Niger has zero completed projects under Bago, but Nami offers hope of rescue, says Tsado
Mathias Baba Tsado, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Bida, Gbako, Katcha Federal Constituency of Niger State, has accused Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of worsening poverty, abandoning projects and failing to provide effective leadership to the state.
Tsado, who made the allegations during an interview on Channels Television, said the governor had failed to translate the state’s revenue into tangible improvements in the lives of residents since assuming office in 2023.
According to him, Niger State has witnessed the initiation of numerous projects without corresponding progress towards their completion, despite substantial revenue accruing to the government.
“You have projects scattered across the state right from the beginning, the inception of the government. There have been groundbreaking projects that have been initiated, but no project has been executed to the finish line yet,” Tsado said.
He accused the administration of failing to demonstrate sufficient results to justify the resources available to it, arguing that residents continued to grapple with poverty and other economic difficulties.
“All we see is that the government just goes about, you know, I don’t even know what. It’s amazing,” he said.
Tsado further questioned the administration’s record on infrastructure, challenging the governor to point any major projects completed and commissioned since he took office.
“When did Niger State governor invite you for commissioning of one single project in Niger State?” he asked.
Tsado argued that the situation was particularly disappointing given Niger State’s agricultural potential and extensive landmass, which he said should position it to play a leading role in food production and economic development.
He maintained that the government had failed to harness the state’s resources and the potential of its young population to create opportunities and improve living standards.
“The level of poverty in Niger State has grown,” Tsado said, referring to a report he cited during the interview.
He alleged that the governor’s approach to governance had left residents with little to show for the resources available to the state.
“The individual as Governor Bago has failed Niger State. He has failed the people,” he said.
Tsado criticised what he described as an excessively centralised style of government, alleging that the governor had concentrated decision making in his own hands at the expense of effective governance.
“I’m certain that the man is running a one-man government,” he said.
He also accused Bago of arrogance and recklessness, arguing that leadership required a clear vision, sound planning and the ability to manage public resources responsibly.
“The man does not know the purpose of governance. He doesn’t know what it means to be a leader of a society,” Tsado said.
He argued that the government had failed to apply basic project management principles, resulting in several projects being undertaken simultaneously without adequate attention to their completion.
According to him, governments should prioritise projects, allocate the necessary resources and complete them before committing to too many new ones.
“When you want to execute projects, the first thing you do is that you sit down and allocate resources, put the right tools in place, and then execute projects linearly,” he said.
Tsado added that poor planning and the failure to complete projects had contributed to public dissatisfaction with the administration.
He also alleged that state institutions had been weakened under Bago’s leadership, describing the administration as one that had failed to provide effective governance.
Tsado expressed confidence that the PDP could regain power in Niger State, pointing to what he described as growing dissatisfaction with the APC administration.
He said the emergence of Dr. Muhammad Nami, the PDP’s governorship candidate, had energised the opposition and attracted supporters who were unhappy with developments within the ruling party.
According to Tsado, some individuals who felt sidelined during the APC’s primary process had returned to the PDP, creating fresh momentum for the party.
He described the support for Nami as a grassroots movement, arguing that residents were increasingly eager for a change of government.
“What we are seeing with Dr. Nami’s emergence as a governorship candidate of the PDP is an organic following from the grassroots, people clamouring for change,” he said.
Tsado recounted an encounter with a supporter who, he said, was campaigning for Nami despite never having met him personally.
He argued that the level of public dissatisfaction with the present administration had created an opportunity for the PDP to present itself as a credible alternative.
“The energy on the ground in Niger State at the moment is palpable. Why? People are tired of the system that Governor Bago brought,” he said.
Tsado also dismissed suggestions that the PDP lacked the organisation or grassroots support needed to challenge the APC, insisting that the demand for change among residents was becoming increasingly evident.
