He lamented over what he termed as endemic plunder of public resources by the current regime, which t he said continued to deny residents crucial services and development, exposing them to inexplicable suffering.
The PNU candidate claimed that Senator Fatuma Dullo, who is seeking re-election on a Jubilee Party ticket, and Isiolo County Assembly Speaker Hussein Roba, who vying for the seat on a Kanu ticket, had failed to stop graft in the devolved government.
Side-lined by Kuti
“I have for the last five years remained firm in the fight against graft despite having being side-lined by my boss (Governor Mohamed Kuti) in the running of the government,” Dr Issa said.
Asked why he did not resign after he was isolated from the government, Dr Issa said he chose to stay put and highlight the ills in the regime for public good.
“I decided to fight from within for the sake of the electorate who put us in that office,” he noted.
He claimed that some senior county government officials had amassed affluence from public coffers, though he did not provide names.
The deputy governor said he was ready to take a lifestyle audit to prove to the residents that he had not taken any public funds while serving in the office.
Not stepping down
Dr Issa dismissed reports that he would step down in favour of Ms Dullo, saying he will proceed to the ballot. Both are vying on parties which are under the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
“Asking a candidate to step down for another is the highest level of corruption and it should not be accepted. I am not after getting a job but serving and taking our people to better pastures and ensuring our county achieves maximum development,” he said.
He said his leadership will stand for integrity, openness, social justice, accountability and transparency.
“My competitors have chickened out and are spreading propaganda that I will cede ground for them and that I do not have numbers. I don’t rely on tribal groupings but people of Isiolo whom I seek to serve and represent,” he said.
Booed by Dullo’s supporters
The leader condemned the recent incident where he was booed by Senator Dullo’s supporters during last Saturday’s PNU meeting with members of the Ameru community convened by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.
Disappointed, Dr Issa dropped the microphone on the table and walked out before the meeting where PNU gubernatorial candidate Kenneth Maorwe dropped his bid in favour of Jubilee’s Abdi Ibrahim Guyo ended.
“I am rooting for peaceful campaigns where we all let our competitors share their agenda and allow the public to make the final decision at the ballot in the spirit of democracy,” he said.
A recent survey by Trends & Insights Africa (Tifa) showed Ms Dullo is leading with a popularity rating of 47 per cent against her closest competitor Nuh Mohammed Ibrahim’s 26 per cent while Mr Roba came third with four per cent.
