By Harry Awurumibe just back from Sokoto
Less than three months to the opening of polls for the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election, the political atmosphere in Sokoto state remains peaceful with the residents going about their businesses without hindrances.
Prompt News investigations revealed that there has not been a single political thuggery recorded in the state for now with political gladiators and their supporters not yet joining issues with each other.
Specifically, the supporters of three major political parties the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party are going about their campaigns in the most civilised manner.
A drive around the Seat of Caliphate showed clearly that there is political tolerance amongst the residents as political party billboards especially those of the PDP, LP and APC are conspicuously mounted at some strategic places in Sokoto metropolis.
For example, the billboards, banners and posters of the presidential candidates of PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku; LP’s Mr. Peter Obi and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC were seen across the city.
However, it was observed that PDP and LP billboards or campaign materials outnumbered that of the APC in Sokoto even as the other 15 political parties have no single presence in the state as there are no other political parties billboards seen on the streets and major roads of Sokoto state except the big three mentioned above.
A trip to Illela, a boarder town between Nigeria
and Niger Republic and a drive from the Sultan Abubakar lll International Airport, Sokoto to the city centre and moving towards
Gusua road to Zamfara state boundary with Sokoto showed clearly that PDP and LP billboards are more in number than the APC can muster.
But of interest is the acceptance of the LP presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi in Sokoto metropolis especially by artisans, okada riders, petty traders, small and medium-sized shop owners and ordinary people on the streets who seem to know who the Labour Party candidate and his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed are.
Interestingly, with PDP as the ruling party in Sokoto, there are no signs that the party has more presence in the state than LP and APC even as the incumbent Governor, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is the Director General of Abubakar Atiku Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
Nevertheless, most of the people interviewed told Prompt News that the people of Sokoto are not under obligation to vote on sentiments this time around as they posited that the 2023 general election is all about the welfare of the Nigerian people.
For example, two brothers, Aminu and Ibrahim who run a multipurpose shop along Augie road in Sokoto metropolis differed on the choice of the presidential candidates as Aminu has settled for LP’s Peter Obi while Ibrahim is for Abubakar Atiku.
Ibrahim said he will cast his vote for Atiku because he is a supporter of Governor Tambuwal and PDP hence he will support his party no matter what happens.
But Aminu, the younger of the two insists that Obi is the most qualified of the presidential candidates to lift Nigerians out of poverty because of his track records of performance in public office and business sector hence he will vote for him irrespective of his tribe and religious belief.
Animu’s views was shared by Farouk Dalhatu, cab driver who said that the young people of Nigeria have been short-changed for a long time by the political elite who grab powers for their selfish interests, pointing out that the youth will this time vote for a party with their interest at heart and that party is Labour Party.
“The 2023 general elections have presented good opportunity for the Nigerian youths to use their votes to install a government at the centre that will implement policies and programme that will impact positively in their lives. That party is Labour Party and its candidate Peter Obi”, Dalhatu said.
