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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna South Senator Sunday Marshall Katung has explained his recent defection from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In an interview with journalists at the weekend, Katung said President Bola Tinubu’s interventions in education and infrastructure within his constituency in less than two years surpassed what any Nigerian president, “dead or alive,” had ever done for his people.
Speaking on his decision to dump the PDP, the lawmaker said, “My decision was based purely on gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Quite honestly, even if I had remained in the PDP, I would still have worked 100% for the President to return to power. No president, living or dead, has done for my people what he has done.”
Senator Katung highlighted the establishment of a federal university, a federal medical centre and an accompanying college of medicine as life-changing developments delivered to the zone under Tinubu.
“In less than 18 months, he brought these to bear on our people. We have no reason not to support him,” he said. “Remaining in the PDP and working for him would have amounted to what people would describe as antipathy, wouldn’t it? And I have principles. I don’t like to act against my belief system.”
The Senator added that his consultations with constituents convinced him that supporting Tinubu was the right decision. “I asked my people; in light of what this man has done, would it be right for us to support another candidate simply because of party loyalty? These projects are long-lasting; they will exist beyond all of us. The President has endeared himself to our hearts, and I am now one of his chief advocates for re-election.”
He described the President as “an astute politician who understands and feels what you feel” and “a leader who comes to your aid when you cry.”
On his priorities for Kaduna South Senatorial District, Senator Katung expressed deep concern over what he described as long-standing infrastructural neglect in Kauru and Sanga Local Government Areas.
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“They seem to be among the most neglected communities in the country. Many communities have no motorable roads. A 15-minute journey can take three to four hours. There are villages government officials have never visited because of the terrain.”
He recounted a tragic incident that underscored the urgency of infrastructural development: “Last year, I visited a community where students drowned while trying to cross a river. When I crossed that same river, I was moved to tears. These are human beings like me. That is why roads, healthcare facilities and electrification are my top priorities.”
Senator Katung stressed that planning should be community-driven rather than imposed from above, warning that lack of engagement fuels failure of government projects and contributes to insecurity.
He also argued that politics should not be treated as a full-time profession, saying, “People should have a real first address, a productive job, before coming into politics.”
The Senator said his discussions ahead of defecting to the APC included a list of requests centred mostly on infrastructure for Kauru and Sanga local government areas, where communities remain severely cut off.
“If you go to Kauru today, roads are cut off. People are cut off from their neighbours. These communities don’t ask for much, they just need a road to evacuate their crops and electricity to improve their livelihoods.”
He narrated how challenging the terrain remains: “The other day, I asked my Special Adviser on Projects to visit a particular community. He had to travel by canoe to get there.”
