The governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Zamfara State, Senator Kabir Marafa, has pledged to end insecurity in the state within two years if elected governor in the 2027 general elections.
Marafa made the commitment on Wednesday during a media parley with members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Zamfara State Council, at his residence in Gusau.
The former senator said his decision to contest the governorship election was driven by the need to address the security crisis that has continued to affect communities, livelihoods and economic activity across the state.
He said his experience in public office had given him an understanding of the challenges facing Zamfara and what he described as the need for a different approach to governance and security.
Marafa went further by attaching a personal political consequence to the pledge, saying he would resign if he failed to end the insecurity within two years of assuming office.
“I will end insecurity in Zamfara within two years or resign,” multiple reports quoted him as saying.
Security at centre of Zamfara election debate
Zamfara, in Nigeria’s North-West, has for years faced attacks by armed groups, including banditry, kidnapping and raids on rural communities.
The security situation has become a major issue in the state’s political discourse, with candidates expected to set out how they intend to restore security while addressing the economic and social conditions that sustain criminal activity.
Marafa said his proposed approach would focus on restoring peace and creating an environment conducive to development.
His campaign promise comes as political parties and aspirants begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Marafa emerged as the NDC’s governorship candidate in May after reportedly becoming the consensus candidate of the party. Channels Television reported at the time that he pledged to tackle insecurity and corruption and restore good governance in the state.
The latest pledge represents a specific two-year timeline for the security objective, although details of the operational strategy, funding framework and institutional arrangements through which he intends to achieve it have not been fully outlined in the reports of the media parley.
If elected, responsibility for security would remain shared across federal and state institutions, with the Nigeria Police Force and other federal security agencies playing central constitutional roles.
For now, Marafa’s two-year pledge is an electoral commitment that voters will be able to assess against his proposed policies and implementation plans as the 2027 campaign develops.