Kaduna South Senator, Sunday Marshall Katung, has shed light on his recent defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking with journalists over the weekend, Katung said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s contributions to education and infrastructure in his constituency within less than two years were unmatched by any previous Nigerian leader.
Explaining his departure from the PDP, he said:
“My decision was purely out of gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Frankly, even if I had stayed in the PDP, I would still have supported him fully. No president, past or present, has done for my people what he has done.”
Katung pointed to the establishment of a federal university, a federal medical centre, and an accompanying college of medicine as transformative projects delivered to the zone under Tinubu’s administration.
“In just about 18 months, these initiatives became realities for our people. We have every reason to stand behind him. Remaining in the PDP while supporting him would have seemed contradictory. I have principles, and I don’t go against my convictions,” he said.
The senator said his discussions with constituents reinforced his belief that backing the President was the right choice.
“I asked my people: with all he has done, should we support someone else simply because of party loyalty? These projects will outlive all of us. The President has earned our trust, and I am now among his strongest advocates for re-election.”
He described President Tinubu as “a sharp political mind who understands the needs of the people” and “a leader who responds when you call for help.”
On his priorities for Kaduna South, Katung lamented what he called years of infrastructural abandonment in Kauru and Sanga Local Government Areas.
“Some of these communities are among the most neglected in Nigeria. Many lack passable roads. A 15-minute trip can turn into a four-hour journey. Some villages have never been visited by government officials because of the harsh terrain.”
He recalled a tragic incident that reinforced the urgency of development projects:
“Last year, I visited a community where students drowned while crossing a river. When I crossed that same river myself, I was deeply moved. These are human beings like us. That’s why roads, healthcare and electricity are at the top of my agenda.”
Katung emphasized that development planning must involve local communities, warning that top-down approaches often lead to failed projects and rising insecurity.
He also argued that politics should not be treated as a lifelong career.
“People should have a real profession, something they do productively before entering politics,” he said.
According to the senator, his discussions before joining the APC included a list of demands focused largely on infrastructure in Kauru and Sanga, where many settlements remain isolated.
“If you go to Kauru today, roads are washed out. Communities are cut off, unable to reach even their neighbours. They’re not asking for much, just roads to transport their crops and electricity to improve their daily lives.”
He added that the terrain remains extremely difficult:
“Recently, I sent my Special Adviser on Projects to visit a particular community. He had to go by canoe to reach it.”
KADUNA POLITICAL AFFAIRS