Niger farmers buy APC nomination forms for Bago, lawmaker

Farmers in Niger State, under the umbrella of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, have purchased the All Progressives Congress nomination and expression of interest forms for Governor Umar Bago and the member representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, Sa’idu Abdullahi, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The gesture, unveiled in Abuja on Thursday, was described by the farmers as a show of appreciation for what they called unprecedented investments and attention to agriculture under the current administration.

Presenting the forms, the group praised Abdullahi as a strong ally of farmers across the state.

Speaking on their behalf, Nura Hashimu highlighted the lawmaker’s direct interventions in agricultural development.

“He has engaged in numerous activities concerning farming in the state and has single-handedly constructed an irrigation facility in Badeggi. He has gone further to create an expansion of the facility in Begi,” Hashimu said.

The farmers also credited Abdullahi with expanding opportunities for women in agriculture, noting that many had been recruited and trained at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

“The lawmaker and His Excellency have done very well. We want them to continue the good work they are doing, and that is why we bought the nomination forms for them,” he added.

The Deputy National Financial Secretary of the Poultry Association of Nigeria and Vice Chairman of AFAN in Niger State, Muhammed Usman, said the decision was rooted in measurable outcomes.

“For us, we are looking at track records. We are looking at what you are doing as far as agriculture is concerned. You can see a lot of transformation and re-engineering of agricultural activities in Niger State, which is being propelled by our governor, ably assisted by Honourable Abdullahi.

“This is a payback period. They have done their best for us. We have seen the deployment of necessary equipment and farm inputs, ranging from fertiliser to tractors, and improved yield for our farmers, which has generated a lot of employment.

“We have created a lot of employment too through these activities, because a lot of people who were working on one-hectare farms before can now work on two or three. People who were used to old ways of doing things, using cutlasses and hoes, are now using tractors,” he added.

He noted that improved access to markets has further strengthened the state’s agricultural value chain.

Abdulrahman Yusuf, former Secretary of AFAN and Secretary of the All Green Agro-Field Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, said the move was a collective endorsement of policies that have reshaped rural livelihoods.

“Niger is the only state that has created about three or four agencies. We have what we call the Rural Access Roads Agency. It is a special project purely for the development of rural areas,” he said.

Also speaking, the Director General of the Micro Credit Agricultural Cooperative Agency, Hassana Muhammed, linked the administration’s policies to greater inclusion of women in farming.

“A lot is coming from Gov Bago and Hon Abdullahi. We want to encourage them to continue,” she said.

Since assuming office in 2023, Bago has positioned agriculture at the centre of Niger State’s economic strategy, branding the state as Nigeria’s emerging food production hub.