Aminu Bello Masari
1,178,864 votes (70.04%)
Aminu Bello Masari is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2019 Governorship Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Katsina. They won with 1.2M votes (70.04%).
Biography
Aminu Bello Masari, born on May 29, 1950, is a Nigerian politician who has held significant political roles in Katsina State.
He served as Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transport in Katsina State from 1991 to 1993.
Between 2003 and 2007, he was the Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives.
Masari is originally from Masari village in Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State.
He received the National Award of Honour of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 2005 from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In the 2011 elections, Masari ran for Katsina State Governor under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) but lost to Ibrahim Shehu Shema, who represented the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He later joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) and contested the 2015 Katsina State governorship election, winning against Musa Nashuni and being sworn in on May 29, 2015.
During his first term, he accused his predecessor of financial misconduct, leading to charges against Ibrahim Shehu Shema and some cabinet members by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Governor Masari dissolved local government chairmen from the previous administration, which the PDP later challenged in court.
He was re-elected as Governor of Katsina State in the 2019 election under the APC, securing 1,178,864 votes against Senator Garba Yakubu Lado’s 488,621 votes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Technology & Digital
Supports the development of MSMEs through partnerships with fintech players to expand access to capital and business development services.
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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Other Candidates in Katsina
Sources
Photo: Wikipedia ↗