[]
Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, has faulted the zoning narrative in the constituency, arguing that the principle has not been consistently applied over the years.
Speaking during a media interaction, Gagdi questioned the legitimacy of claims that the House of Representatives seat was exclusively zoned to Kanam at any point in time.
According to him, “You cannot claim zoning and at the same time allow everyone from different local governments to contest. That is not zoning; it defeats the very principle.”
He maintained that from 1999 to date, aspirants from Pankshin, Kanke, and Kanam have always participated in elections, regardless of which area was said to be favoured.
Gagdi further challenged proponents of zoning to provide evidence of any election cycle where only one local government was allowed to produce a candidate.
“If zoning truly existed, why was I not the sole beneficiary when it was said to be Kanam’s turn? Why did candidates from other local governments still contest?” he asked.
The lawmaker stressed that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to contest elections without restriction, noting that no individual can be barred based on informal political arrangements.
He added that political competition should be based on capacity, performance, and acceptance by the people rather than selective interpretations of zoning.
Gagdi also dismissed protests against his third-term ambition, describing them as unnecessary and politically motivated.
“Elections are decided by the people at the ballot, not by sponsored protests. If you have the capacity, go to the people and seek their mandate,” he said.
He urged stakeholders in the constituency to focus on unity and democratic engagement, emphasizing that inclusive participation strengthens the political process.
= 1140 ) { /* large monitors */ var adEl = document.createElement(“ins”); placeAdEl.replaceWith(adEl); adEl.setAttribute(“class”, “adsbygoogle”); adEl.setAttribute(“style”, “display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px”); adEl.setAttribute(“data-ad-client”, “”); adEl.setAttribute(“data-ad-slot”, “”); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); } });window.addEventListener(“load”, function(){ var placeAdEl = document.getElementById(“td-ad-placeholder”); if ( null !== placeAdEl && td_screen_width >= 1019 && td_screen_width = 768 && td_screen_width < 1019 ) { /* portrait tablets */ var adEl = document.createElement("ins"); placeAdEl.replaceWith(adEl); adEl.setAttribute("class", "adsbygoogle"); adEl.setAttribute("style", "display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px"); adEl.setAttribute("data-ad-client", ""); adEl.setAttribute("data-ad-slot", ""); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); } });window.addEventListener("load", function(){ var placeAdEl = document.getElementById("td-ad-placeholder"); if ( null !== placeAdEl && td_screen_width
