Labour Party governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Michael Bush, has promised to build 1,000 low-cost housing units in each of the state’s 31 local government areas if elected governor in 2027.
The proposal amounts to 31,000 housing units across the state and forms part of an eight-point development agenda unveiled by the candidate.
Bush said his proposed administration would be people-centred and focused on serving residents irrespective of their background, age or physical ability.
“My administration will be people-centred with focus on serving all categories of persons irrespective of background, age and physical ability,” he said.
“We will build low-cost 1,000 housing units in every LGA across Akwa Ibom State. Shelter is a right, not a privilege.”
The housing pledge was one of several proposals announced by Bush, who also promised to establish education, employment and relaxation centres for elderly residents across the state.
He said the proposed senior citizens’ centres would provide opportunities for elderly people to remain productive while helping restore dignity to retirees.
Bush also pledged to complete ongoing projects inherited from previous administrations rather than abandon them.
According to him, continuing such projects would prevent the waste of public funds and ensure that resources already committed to infrastructure were not lost.
The Labour Party candidate said his development blueprint would be known by the acronym AKWA IBOM, representing Access, Knowledge, Wealth, Advancement, Industrialisation, Business, Opportunities and Manpower.
On the welfare of civil servants, Bush promised that retiring workers would receive their pensions and gratuities on the exact day they retire.
He also said his administration would protect residents from excessive taxation and introduce subsidies in key sectors of the economy to cushion the effects of economic hardship.
Security also featured prominently in his agenda.
Bush proposed involving village heads, traditional rulers and youth leaders in efforts to address insecurity, particularly in rural communities.
He said the approach would give local stakeholders a greater role in identifying security challenges and supporting efforts to protect communities.
Bush emerged as the Labour Party’s governorship candidate after the party’s May 30 primary in Akwa Ibom.
His candidacy has, however, been challenged in court by Emmanuel Friday Ben, who claims to be the authentic Labour Party candidate. The Federal High Court in Uyo adjourned the case until September 30.
The legal dispute is ongoing, but Bush has continued to campaign around his proposed development agenda for the state.
The 31,000-home proposal is currently a campaign commitment. Its implementation, if Bush wins the election, would require funding, land, infrastructure and a defined system for selecting beneficiaries.
For now, housing remains one of the central pillars of Bush’s proposed eight-point programme as the 2027 Akwa Ibom governorship contest develops.
