Dr Abdulmumini Aminu Zaria, Executive Director/CEO of the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC), has explained his withdrawal from the race for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District seat.
In a statement titled A Decision of Conviction: My Withdrawal from the Kaduna Central Senatorial Race, Zaria, a close ally of Governor Uba Sani, said the move was “solitary and driven solely by a higher calling to service.”
He cited the need to fully dedicate himself to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
Zaria said that for three years he felt a “burden of conscience” to serve Kaduna Central at the Senate, pointing to a gap in representation and the need for a legislative voice to bridge federal reforms with state-level transformation.
However, he said his role as a federal appointee under the Tinubu administration requires “loyalty, dedication, and the full weight of every appointee.” He added: “I have chosen to sacrifice personal political ambition on the altar of national duty” to ensure the Renewed Hope agenda succeeds.
Zaria described Governor Uba Sani as “not just our leader” but “my brother and a friend.” He praised the governor’s “visionary leadership” and reaffirmed his commitment to the “SUSTAIN” agenda for Kaduna State. The withdrawal, he said, is to “remove any distraction” and stand solidly behind the governor.
Acknowledging possible disappointment among his supporters, Zaria said the structure and goodwill built over the past three years “was never just about an election; it was about service.” He urged them to transfer their energy and loyalty to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and to support President Tinubu and Governor Sani.
“This is not an end; it is a redirection,” Zaria said. “It is a conscious choice to put the nation and the state above self.”
Zaria noted he never formally declared for the race, but said “whispers of my ambition were not born of vanity.”
Read Aminu Zaria’s statement below:
A Decision of Conviction: My Withdrawal from the Kaduna Central Senatorial Race
Citizens of Kaduna Central,
My Esteemed Party Leaders,
My Beloved Supporters and Well-wishers,
For the past three years, I saw the gap in representation and I felt a profound pull and a burden of conscience to step forward and offer myself for the service of the great people of Kaduna Central at the red chamber.
While it is true that I never formally made a public declaration, the whispers of my ambition were not born of vanity. For the past three years, the development trajectory of our nation and state has been undeniable. The progressive agenda taking shape at the federal level under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the synchronized development we are witnessing here in Kaduna State under the exceptional leadership of Governor Uba Sani, amplified the need for a unified legislative voice. I was convinced, and many of you were convinced, that the Senate needed a representative who could seamlessly bridge the visionary work happening in the Villa with the grassroots transformation happening here under Governor Sani.
However, the journey of a leader is not just about personal ambition; it is about listening to the pulse of the people and, more importantly, listening to the strategic needs of the nation.
Today, I am writing not to announce a campaign, but to make a declaration of a different kind. I am announcing my decision to step down from the race for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District seat.
Let me be unequivocally clear: This decision is solitary and driven solely by a higher calling to service. It is a decision born from the burning desire to fully dedicate myself to the monumental task of ensuring the success of two leaders who represent the best hope for our democracy: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our indefatigable Governor, Senator Uba Sani.
We are at a critical moment in our national life. President Tinubu has embarked on the most ambitious reform agenda in a generation. These reforms require loyalty, dedication, and the full weight of every appointee in the federal level. As a federal government appointee under this administration, I have taken stock of the sheer volume of work required to deliver effective service to the Nigerian people.
I have chosen to sacrifice personal political ambition on the altar of national duty. I have chosen to remain fully in the trenches, working tirelessly to ensure that the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeds, because the success of Mr. President is the success of Nigeria.
Furthermore, my loyalty and commitment to the political stability of Kaduna State is absolute. Gov Uba Sani (CON) is not just our leader; he is my brother and a friend. I have witnessed firsthand the sleepless nights he endures, the meticulous planning he undertakes, and the visionary leadership he provides to ensure that Kaduna State becomes a model for the nation.
I want to take this special moment to publicly appreciate His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani. Your Excellency, thank you for the gift of your friendship. Thank you for the support, the guidance, and the wise counsel you have always provided. From this moment on, I reaffirm my utmost commitment and steadfastness to ensuring the success of your political career and the realization of your “SUSTAIN” agenda for Kaduna State. My decision is to remove any distraction and to stand solidly behind you, as we work to deliver the dividends of democracy to every nook and cranny of our state.
To my teeming supporters, my loyalists, and the well-wishers who have sacrificed their time, energy, and resources in anticipation of this race: I see you. I feel your love, and I am eternally grateful. I know that some of you may feel disappointed. Some of you may feel that a dream has been deferred. But I ask you today to look at the bigger picture. The structure, the network, and the goodwill we have built together was never just about an election; it was about service.
Therefore, I am not asking you to go home. I am asking you to join me on this new path. I am asking you to transfer that energy, that loyalty, and that passion to the service of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Let us channel our efforts into ensuring that President Tinubu succeeds in transforming Nigeria. Let us work even harder to ensure that Governor Uba Sani succeeds in transforming Kaduna. Their success is our collective success.
This is not an end; it is a redirection. It is a conscious choice to put the nation and the state above self.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
May God bless the All Progressives Congress.
May God bless Kaduna State.
Thank you, and God bless you all.
Dr Abdulmumini Aminu Zaria
Executive Director/CEO NIWRMC
