A former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State, Hon. Aminu Mohammed Danmaliki, has said that the primary responsibility of government is to improve the welfare of citizens, stressing that it was never established to make life more difficult for the people.

Danmaliki made the assertion on Saturday while formally declaring for the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) at Majidadi B Ward in Bauchi, where he announced his resignation from the APC.

According to him, worsening economic hardship across the country informed his decision to leave the ruling party and embrace the PRP, which he described as a platform committed to social justice and people-centred governance.

“The government was never created to make life harder for the people. The government exists to protect, empower, and uplift the people,” he said.

He lamented that many Nigerians were battling rising hardship, with families struggling to feed themselves, graduates unable to secure jobs, farmers facing uncertainty despite their efforts, and small businesses fighting for survival.

“These are not statistics. These are human lives. These are our brothers and sisters. These are our neighbours,” he added.

Danmaliki said his decision to defect followed “careful reflection, sincere consultation and prayerful consideration,” noting that it was driven by principles rather than political convenience.

“Today is not simply about changing political parties. It is about choosing principles over convenience, conviction over comfort, and the people over power,” he said.

The former lawmaker explained that he left the APC without bitterness or malice but with the conviction that leadership must respond to the needs and aspirations of the people.
He described the PRP as more than a political platform, saying it represents a philosophy rooted in public service, accountability, quality education, affordable healthcare, rural development and economic opportunity.

“The measure of a government is not the number of powerful people it serves, but the number of ordinary people whose lives it transforms,” he stated.

Danmaliki said Bauchi State possesses vast agricultural, human and mineral resources capable of driving development but argued that the state had been constrained by the absence of purposeful leadership and consistent implementation of people-orientated policies.

Reflecting on his public service, he said he had remained committed to improving lives as a journalist, commissioner, member of the House of Representatives, entrepreneur, President of the Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, and founder of educational and healthcare institutions.

He also declared support for PRP governorship aspirant Senator Shehu Buba, describing him as “a man of courage, vision and commitment.”
Danmaliki pledged to deploy his experience and political network towards ensuring the PRP’s success in the 2027 governorship election in Bauchi State.

He called on youths, women, farmers, artisans, traders, professionals, traditional rulers and religious leaders to join what he described as a movement focused on development rather than division.

He urged politicians to prioritise issue-based campaigns, saying, “Let us debate ideas, not insults. Let us build bridges, not walls. Let us replace politics of division with the politics of development and empty promises with measurable performance.”

The former APC stalwart expressed optimism that Nigeria could overcome poverty and restore citizens’ dignity through honest leadership, prudent management of resources and policies that place the welfare of the people above every other interest.