Alkali Saidu Ahmed

Alkali Saidu Ahmed is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2023 Nigerian Senate Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Gombe.

Biography

Sa'idu Ahmad Alkali (born 12 February 1969), a Nigerian politician and Senator for Gombe North senatorial district, initially elected in 2010. Despite facing electoral ups and downs, he showcased his commitment to public service, serving as a bridge between various political platforms and leaving an indelible mark on Nigerian politics.

He was elected as Senator for the Gombe North senatorial district of Gombe State, Nigeria in an August 2010 by-elections after the death of the incumbent Senator Kawu Peto Dukku. He was reelected in the 2011 general elections, running on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform.

However, he failed to secure the party's ticket in the 2014 primaries, which led him to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 and subsequently won. Alkali lost re-election to former Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo in the 2023 general elections, marking a revenge victory where he also defeated Dankwambo in the 2019 general elections.

Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali was born on 12 February 1969. He holds the honorary title of Sarkin Gabas Dukku. He obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and became a public servant.

Alhaji Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali was formerly the Commissioner of Information in the administration of Governor Danjuma Goje. After the death of Kawu Peto Dukku in April 2010, he emerged as the consensus candidate for the PDP due to his indigene status in Dukku Local Government Area, though this decision was criticized by some party members.

In the April 2011 general elections, Alkali emerged as the winner with 136,850 votes on the PDP platform. Mu'azu Umar Babagoro of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) scored 81,519 votes, and Engineer Abdullahi Sa'ad Abubakar of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) received 36,427 votes.

He was pronounced Minister of Transportation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 16 August 2023. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration.

Party Positions

Policy positions from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party manifesto.

Agriculture

Launches the Irrigate Nigeria Project as a public-private partnership to develop small-scale irrigation and water catchment systems using modern technology to boost agricultural productivity.

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Security & Defense

Will deploy modern aerial surveillance and advanced technology to monitor and deter intrusions into oil pipelines, power stations, and other critical national infrastructure in real time.

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Environment & Climate

Accelerates the environmental cleanup and re-establishment of fisheries and profitable aquacultural activities in the Niger-Delta region to counter violent extremism and poverty-driven disaffection.

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Economy & Trade

Will implement the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and additional favorable policies to attract investment in deep-water assets within 6 months, including encouraging signature bonus negotiations and royalty reliefs.

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Infrastructure

Creates regional industrial hubs in specific zones (North West, North East, South East, South South, South West, North Central) to focus on labor-intensive manufacturing, with tailored investments (e.g., textiles, dry ports, glass, pottery, solid minerals, regulated mining).

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Enterprise grant support

Work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to simplify loan processes for commercial banks, mandate federally owned banks to provide low-cost loans to youth-led enterprises, and expand business incubation centers to support youth innovation.

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Energy

Will mandate gas metering equipment on all facilities where gas flaring occurs within 6 months and establish a special enforcement unit to monitor compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) on gas flaring reduction, with non-compliance leading to financial penalties for affected communities.

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Governance & Reform

Reserve at least 3 cabinet positions for individuals under 40 and 6 more positions for members under the age of 40, and mandate that at least 20% of political appointments to Ministries/Dangomas (MDAs) be reserved for individuals under 40.

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Education

Raises the priority of addressing out-of-school children, establishes a task force to review and strengthen programs like school feeding, and aims to reduce disaffected youth recruitment by violent groups.

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Healthcare

Will establish a network of upgraded, equipped, and staffed general hospitals in every Local Government Area, tertiary facilities in each State, and world-class specialist hospitals in each geo-political zone to improve healthcare accessibility and quality.

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Technology & Digital

Supports the development of MSMEs through partnerships with fintech players to expand access to capital and business development services.

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Reliefs and scholarships

Commits to a conditional income support program requiring recipients to meet human capital goals (school attendance, healthcare, nutrition) in exchange for payments.

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