The Humanitarian Times

By Abdulkareem Haruna

A young aircraft maintenance engineer, Ishaku Mshelizza, has joined the race for the Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, promising to leverage his professional expertise to attract “democratic dividends” to the area.

Mr Mshelizza, a member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), picked his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at the All Progressives Congress (APC) headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking with journalists after obtaining the forms, the aspirant stated that his entry into the 2027 contest followed extensive consultations with elders, youth groups, and community leaders who are “yearning for purposeful representation.”

“The decision to contest was borne out of a deep commitment to improving the living conditions of my people,” Mr Mshelizza said. “I am stepping forward to provide inclusive representation that will bring development closer to our communities.”
With a 19-year background in both politics and telecommunications engineering, Mr Mshelizza argued that the constituency requires a representative capable of addressing chronic infrastructure deficits and stagnated economic empowerment.

He pledged to prioritize federal presence in the constituency, with a specific focus on education and sustainable programmes for women and youth.

On the mode of the upcoming party primaries, the aspirant expressed confidence in his grassroots support base, stating he is prepared for either a direct primary or a consensus arrangement as determined by the APC stakeholders.

Mr Mshelizza, who is known in the constituency for his involvement in grassroots mobilisation, also called for party unity, noting that a collective front is essential for the region’s development.