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'I be una servant and not boss' - 26-year-old lawmaker elect for Kwara State

Rukayat Shittu win di Kwara State House of Assembly election

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 Source: BBC

Rukayat Shittu, di 26-year-old woman wey win di Kwara State House of Assembly election to represent Owode/Onire Constituency say she go be servant and not oga to di pipo wey she dey represent.

For one interview wit BBC afta her victory, di youngest female lawmaker-elect so far, tok say she go dey dia for everibodi irrespective of di political party wey dem belong to.

Shittu tok say her decision to contest for political office for Kwara State don motivate young to also do di same tin.

‘Campaign no difficult’

Shittu say she no find am difficult wen she dey campaign and pipo no use gender or age discriminate against am.

“We don get female as commissioner and SSA and all of dem dey do well. And we no struggle to persuade pipo say we sef fit do am, and you see say na all of us win,” Shittu tok.

Shittu tok say wen she meet wit Oba of Ilorin afta di election, di king express im joy say 26-year-old female win election for Kwara State House of Assembly for im lifetime.

“No be say im dey tink say I be young pesin or female, but im dey happi sake of say for im lifetime dis kind beta tin fit happun. Dis na wetin we want for Kwara of today be dat,” Shittu tok.

‘Humility na im make me win’

Di young lawmaker say one of di tins wey make her win di election na humility.

She say even afta di election, she no change, she still be di same Shittu wey everi one sabi.

“No be say sake of say dem don vote for me, I go kon say I be dia oga. I no be anybodi oga o, I be dia servant wey dem send message for Owode/Onire.

She say for dis Ramadan period, she dey break her fast wit all di nine wards wey dey under Owode/Onire Constituency.

She say afta dat, she dey also break her fast wit pipo wey dey for her campaign council and party executives, and dis na her way of appreciating wetin God do and also to hear feedback.

“Afta di election, e no come my mind say I wan komot for here go somewhere go rest for one month or two months. I neva travel afta di election. As we dey go dis place, we dey go dat place,” Shittu tok.

Shittu say evritin she dey do na based on need assessment, and add say before now she don provide water to communities and also grade dia roads and do oda tins wey go make life easy for dem.

She say wetin she don do no be wetin she go stop to dey do as she go even improve am wen she enta office.

Di 26 years old also say one of her plans na to partner wit internation non-govmental organisations wey wan bring different tins to constituencies.

She say she no dey alone as she get elderly pipo wey dey support am add say she no go disappoint sake of say she believe say afta dis one God go do di one wey even beta.

Source: BBC