Kaduna PDP governorship candidate, Usman Bawa ABG
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Hon. Usman Shehu Bawa, has raised the alarm over the state’s debt profile, which he put at about ₦1 trillion, warning that rising borrowing could undermine sustainable development and the delivery of essential services.
Bawa spoke on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during a one-on-one policy dialogue with governorship candidates in Kaduna State, organised by the Partnership for Issue-Based Campaign (PICaN).
He called for greater transparency and accountability in public borrowing and expenditure, arguing that the state needed a sustainable fiscal policy to address poverty, improve education and healthcare, and raise residents’ living standards.
“Currently, Kaduna State is in a debt trap. The total public debt of Kaduna State is ₦1 trillion,” he said.
The PDP candidate also claimed that the state’s external debt stood at $684.29 million, with an external debt-to-revenue ratio of 312.66 per cent, which he said exceeded the 150 per cent limit cited in his presentation.
However, the figures presented by Bawa were not independently verified at the event.
Comparing the debt profile under successive administrations, he said Kaduna State’s external debt increased from $226.37 million during the period he associated with PDP administrations between 1999 and 2015 to $684.29 million under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administrations from 2015.
He also put domestic debt at ₦49.85 billion during the PDP period and ₦84.64 billion under the APC.
Bawa said the figures, alongside persistent challenges in poverty reduction, learning outcomes and access to affordable healthcare, highlighted the need for a different approach to governance.
He pledged that, if elected, his administration would be guided by the PDP manifesto and focus on policies that directly improve the lives of residents.
“I am a PDP candidate, and my manifesto is guided by the PDP manifesto,” he said, adding that his government would prioritise the implementation of policies capable of delivering tangible results.
On governance, Bawa promised to adopt a bottom-up approach that would give communities a greater role in determining development priorities and the allocation of public resources.
He said stakeholders across the state’s 255 wards would be consulted to identify their most pressing needs and ensure that government projects reflected local priorities.
“Our approach is a bottom-up approach, not a top-bottom approach,” he said.
The candidate explained that, for instance, if his administration had a budget of ₦100 billion, it would consult stakeholders across the three senatorial zones before determining how to distribute resources in line with identified needs.
“We want to build the bridges in the exact wards that need those bridges, not build boreholes where you do not need them or build classrooms where you do not need them,” he said.
According to him, the approach would reduce waste, improve project delivery and ensure that public funds were directed towards areas where they would have the greatest impact.
Bawa also promised inclusive governance and equitable distribution of resources, stressing the need to promote unity and give the state’s diverse religious and social groups a sense of belonging.
He identified security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, economic empowerment and institutional accountability as major priorities of his proposed administration.
He said improving security and strengthening the justice system would create a peaceful environment for residents, businesses and investors, while improved healthcare and education would enhance human capital development.
The PDP candidate also pledged to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), strengthen social protection and promote agriculture, innovation, technology and environmental sustainability.
