Atiku breaks through in Sokoto

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) finally held its presidential campaign flag-off in Sokoto on Wednesday after uncertainty over the venue of the rally and whether the party would be allowed to hold the event in the state.

The event was largely peaceful, but some party supporters were alleged to have come under attack en route to the campaign ground, with two persons reportedly shot.

Analysts say the flag-off represents a breakthrough for the opposition, as the atmosphere had been dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which began its campaign on October 24, in Kaduna.

The ADC campaign flag-off was held against the backdrop of hostility the party faced preparatory to the event, including the takeover of hotel accommodation allegedly by the state government, the sealing of its party secretariat and refusal to grant the use of public squares for the event.

Senate proposes 6-month jail term, N300,000 fine for hospitals rejecting emergency patients

To the newly minted ‘Yangotes

Even as at late Tuesday night, few hours to the D-Day, it wasn’t clear if the rally was going to take place as the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi; the national chairman of the party, Senator David Mark and other members of the party were yet to arrive at the state.

By early Wednesday morning, things began to shape up when the party scaled over a major hurdle and secured a venue for the rally.

The ADC announced on Wednesday, that its state secretariat along Ilorin Road, Sokoto, would serve as the venue for the presidential campaign flag-off.

It was then the party announced that Atiku and other national leaders of the party were expected to arrive in Sokoto at 9am through the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport.

The announcement cleared the air over the controversy which came with conflicting reports on where the event would be held.

Our correspondents report that supporters of the ADC turned Atiku’s arrival into a carnival as they intensified their call for a change of government, repeatedly chanting “Tinubu Must Go”.

The slogan rang out at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, where party supporters gathered to welcome Atiku and his entourage, with members of the Tinubu Must Go Movement leading the chant.

Atiku and his entourage arrived in Sokoto at about 1 pm but did not reach the ADC State Secretariat, the venue of the campaign rally, until around 4:30 pm, following the large crowd that turned out to welcome them. The journey from the airport to the city centre would ordinarily take no more than 15 minutes.

The triple-lane airport road was filled with ADC supporters waving party flags and displaying campaign posters and banners of the party’s candidates. Many sang, danced and celebrated along the route.

The campaign venue was also filled to capacity, with some supporters climbing onto the roof of the party’s four-storey secretariat.

Before Atiku’s arrival, supporters had been entertaining themselves with songs, dancing, motorcycle stunts and traditional performances by Yan Tauri groups. The crowd began gathering as early as 9 am.

Addressing the supporters at the avenue, Atiku alleged that APC members are going round villages in northern Nigeria to buy voters’ cards in an attempt to manipulate the electoral process. He urged Nigerians to come out in large numbers to vote and protect their ballots during the forthcoming elections.

He warned that failure to turn out massively could create an opportunity for those allegedly buying voters’ cards to manipulate the process and give the impression that the opposition lacked sufficient support in the North.

“Let us come out and vote as if it were Judgement Day. Come out in large numbers, protect your votes and escort them until they are secured.

“If you fail to turn out in large numbers, people will go from village to village buying voters’ cards to create the impression that we do not have as many supporters as those in the South.

“Go out and cast your vote, and protect it,” he said.

2 persons allegedly shot

At least two persons believed to be supporters of the ADC were allegedly shot along the Wurno-Sokoto Road on Wednesday, while several vehicles conveying supporters of the party to its presidential campaign rally were reportedly attacked in Tambuwal Local Government Area.

The road linking Sokoto metropolis with the eastern part of the state was said to have been barricaded, forcing vehicles conveying supporters to the rally venue to stop.

It was alleged that the shooting followed an altercation between occupants of a vehicle conveying the supporters and some security operatives, who allegedly opened fire during the confrontation, leaving two persons with gunshot injuries.

The victims were subsequently rushed to a hospital.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Tambuwal, some supporters travelling from the local government and neighbouring Kebbe were allegedly attacked by suspected political thugs who barricaded a road with burning tyres, stones and pieces of wood to prevent them from reaching the rally venue.

One of the drivers who escaped unhurt, Buhari Muhammad Gunzu, told Daily Trust that the attackers beat some passengers and damaged vehicles belonging to people travelling to attend the campaign.

He said three vehicles, including a vehicle conveying supporters, were damaged in his presence.

He added that a bus conveying passengers from Tambuwal and another vehicle coming from Kebbi State, carrying an ADC banner, were also attacked, with their windows smashed.

Another witness, Engr. Mubarak Faruk Tambuwal, said the incident occurred at a bypass junction connecting Tambuwal town and the road leading to Kebbe.

He said the suspected thugs questioned them about their destination and threatened to smash their vehicles if they discovered they were heading for the ADC presidential campaign rally.

One of the affected drivers, Abdussalam Bashire, also confirmed the attack, saying he was conveying eight passengers when they encountered the barricade.

He said they suddenly heard the attackers shouting that they were ADC members and should be killed, even though neither he nor his passengers wore ADC-branded clothing or displayed any party insignia.

Bashire said he attempted to reverse his vehicle, popularly known as Fisheye, but it failed to respond, forcing him to accelerate through the barricade to escape.

He said the vehicle was damaged in several places, adding that he had since parked it because of the extent of the damage.

The development has raised concerns over the safety of political supporters and freedom of movement during campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The latest incidents come amid existing tensions between the ADC and security operatives in Sokoto State.

The Community Guards had previously been accused of attacking the ADC governorship candidate, Dan’iya, while returning from the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, last week.

When contacted over the Wurno-Sokoto incident, the Sokoto State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said he had just received the information and would confirm it.

On the Tambuwal incident, he said he was not aware of it but would verify.

However, when contacted again for further details, he neither answered the call nor returned it as of the time of filing this report.

Why ADC chose Sokoto

The former Vice President said Sokoto was chosen for the campaign flag-off because of its historical and religious significance, describing the state as a centre of peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.

“They said we would not come to Sokoto, but here we are. They said we would not hold the campaign rally, but we have come.

“I follow history, and I also believe in peaceful coexistence. Sokoto is a centre of peace, and people of all faiths understand the importance of Sokoto to Nigeria. That is why we decided to launch our campaign in Sokoto,” he said.

Atiku promised that an ADC administration would tackle insecurity, reopen Nigeria’s land borders and make Hajj and Christian pilgrimages affordable for Nigerians.

The former vice president pledged to end insecurity, restore hope to Nigerians and rescue the country.

Atiku further said Nigerians were tired of hunger, insecurity and broken promises, adding that his campaign offered an opportunity for a change in leadership.

“Nigerians are tired of hunger, fear, and broken promises. Today, they have a choice, a plan, and a leader ready to deliver. I will end the insecurity that haunts our communities, restore hope to our young people, and make Nigeria affordable again,” he added.

He also extended his condolences to families of those killed in various attacks across the country.

In his address, Amaechi, the ADC vice-presidential candidate, urged supporters to resist any attempt to rig the forthcoming elections. He blamed the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for the rising cost of living and alleged corruption, accusing the government of borrowing money without translating the loans into improved living conditions for Nigerians.

He challenged supporters to compare their current economic conditions with what they experienced before the present administration.

Amaechi said he was impressed by the massive turnout at the rally, recalling that the last time he witnessed a similar crowd in Sokoto was in 2019 during the presidential campaign of late President Muhammadu Buhari.

In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, said the massive reception accorded the party’s delegation from the airport to the rally venue demonstrated Sokoto residents’ readiness to support the party.

Mark expressed confidence in the party’s political prospects in the state, describing the combination of Atiku and Amaechi as one capable of addressing Nigeria’s insecurity and other challenges.

He thanked the people of Sokoto for the reception and support shown to the party’s leadership.

Earlier, the Sokoto State Coordinator of the ADC campaign, Senator Ibrahim Lamido, described Sokoto as a one-party state, insisting that the ADC has overwhelming support in the state.

The ADC governorship candidate in the state, Manir Muhammad Dan’iya, said all attempts to prevent the ADC presidential candidate from visiting the state had failed.

“They have made fruitless efforts to stop you from coming to Sokoto, but you are now here. You will get our support,” he said.

Supporters speak on Atiku’s candidacy

General Secretary of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, Sokoto State Chapter, Comrade Mukhtar Sani Doki, said they believed Atiku means well for Nigerians, considering the numerous challenges facing the country, including insecurity, rising cost of living and other hardships.

He said persons with disabilities were among those who understood the effects of the economic hardship most, explaining that while some had means of survival, others had nothing and were forced to beg before they could afford a meal.

Malam Aliyu Muhammad, who said he travelled from Niger State, said he was overwhelmed by the crowd at the venue.

“We came yesterday but could not get accommodation and had to sleep in the car park. This is not the kind of democracy we want in the country, where those in power want to muscle the opposition.

“They should know that Nigerians are tired of the APC, and we will change them from top to bottom,” he said.

Another supporter, Alhaji Ibrahim Tambuwal, described the turnout as an indication that Nigerians were yearning for change.

“Look at how people came out in large numbers to welcome the candidate despite all the efforts by the state government to sabotage the ceremony. This is unprecedented. I have never seen such a large gathering. I am confident Atiku would address our national challenges when elected. I trust him and his team,” he said.

Other party members also criticised what they described as an unfriendly political atmosphere in the state.

The campaign flag-off was conducted peacefully, with a heavy deployment of security personnel to maintain law and order at the venue.

‘ADC’s experience in Sokoto worrisome’

Speaking on the issue, a political scientist at Bayero University, Kano, Prof Kamilu Sani Fage, said the developments preceding the rally raised concerns about the freedom of opposition parties to operate in Nigeria.

Fage said the alleged inability of ADC members to secure hotel accommodation and the sealing of the party’s secretariat were indications of possible attempts to intimidate the opposition and deny it a level playing field.

He, however, said the large turnout recorded at the rally might have discouraged any attempt to disrupt the gathering, warning that confrontation involving such a crowd could have resulted in serious consequences.

The professor said the successful holding of the rally did not erase concerns raised by the events preceding it, particularly regarding the ability of opposition parties to organise political activities without interference.

He said the development had implications for Nigeria’s democracy.

He noted that allowing political parties to operate freely is essential to ensuring that citizens could make independent choices.

“One of the basic tenets of democracy is allowing people to have free choice, and you cannot have free choice where there is no level playing field,” he said.

Fage also expressed concern that Nigerian politicians appeared not to have learnt from the country’s political history.

He recalled how intolerance and attempts to suppress opposition contributed to crises during the First and Second Republics.

He noted that similar political developments during the First Republic contributed to its collapse, while the disputed 1983 elections in the Second Republic also triggered violence in some parts of the country.

According to him, the experiences should serve as a warning to political leaders against using state power to frustrate opposition parties.

The political scientist said it was particularly worrisome that some politicians who complained about intimidation and restrictions when they were in opposition were now allegedly engaging in similar practices after assuming power.

He said the pattern was not limited to the Presidency, adding that some governors and other political officeholders who previously demanded political freedom appeared to be acting differently after gaining power.

Fage maintained that democratic competition required political actors to uphold the same principles of political freedom and fairness, whether in government or in opposition.

By Abubakar Auwal, Salim Ashir Mahuta, Sokoto & Mumini Abdulkareem, Ilorin