Bafarawa, Shagari others assure president of bloc vote

Let me first, sincerely thank the former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, the incumbent Deputy Governor, Barrister Mukhtar Shagari and all other stakeholders of our party for bringing PDP together after the governor we installed decided to take our mandate and dash it to another party.

Maybe he thought that the party will collapse, but it’s is even becoming stronger”.

That was President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate in the February 14 polls, apparently impressed with the large crowd of supporters, at the popular Shehu Kangiwa Square, venue of the Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo re-election campaign rally for Sokoto State last Monday. The event also marked the presentation of party flag to the governorship candidate of PDP, Senator Abdalla Wali by the National Chairman of the Party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, who also officially introduced him to party faithful. It was gathered that Wali’s victory at the state primary elections, ahead the incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, Barrister Mukhtar Shagari, and two others was hinged on his intimidating profile as former Senate leader and two-term former Nigerian Ambassador to Morrocco and first Minister of National Planning among others.

Turn out at the event was huge such that soon after the President arrived with his entourage, the wooden barricades that were erected by the organisers, to wedge people, quietly yielded to the impact of the surging crowd.

The event was graced by many top dignitaries: Members of the National Working Committee and party stalwarts as well as various PDP candidates in in the state, some of whom addressed the gathering in turns. Among them were Vice President Namadi Sambo, National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus; Director General Goodluck Jonathan/Namadi Sambo Campaign, Dr. Ahmadu Ali; Chairman of PDP Elders’ Committee in Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; Chairman of PDP Governor’s Forum, Godswill Akpabio, and his Jigawa State counterpart and zonal coordinator of the presidential rally, Sule Lamido as well as the Co-ordinator of the presidential campaign in Sokoto, who is also the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Mukhtar Shagari;  elders, traditional and religious leaders, including party faithful and supporters, among others. All the Sokoto State PDP candidates in the February polls led by the governorship candidate, Ambassador Abdalla Wali, were also present at the rally, which afforded President Jonathan a platform to adduce sundry reasons the North should ignore mischievous politicians, who peddle deceitful insinuations that he hated the North. Also, worried by high level of campaign of calumny against his person by his oppositions, the president noted that there was no kind of lie that they had not told northerners about him, adding that they even fabricated falsehood to portray him and his administration, as having skewed distribution of projects. But according to him, his only interest is that projects are distributed in a way that every part of the country must benefit from whatever his government does.

President Jonathan, who had earlier visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Sa’ad III, to pay him homage, also extolled the virtues and contributions of former President Shehu Shagari as well as other former leaders of the state, such as Uthman Dan Fodio, Saduana of Sokoto and Sir Ahmadu Bello, all of blessed memory, adding that their legacies still served as huge reference to the present generation of leaders, including himself (Jonathan). He noted that the Sultan had expressed concern over the unwarranted rivalry that existed among political parties in the state and requested that they should play by the rules. As a result, the president condemned the development and reiterated his usual stand that no election victory was worth the blood of any Nigerian and urged all parties to imbibe the spirit of accommodation and eschew violent acts during and after the general elections.

President Jonathan also took some time out to remind the people about several giant strides recorded by his administration in the North; especially in education, agriculture, health and other sectors. He pointed out that his government had intervened so much in basic education in the North through the Universal Basic Education (UBE) fund even though it is the responsibility of the state government. According to him, the federal government under his watch had also intervened in several tertiary institutions in the country, including the Uthman Dan Fodio Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, via the Tertiary Education Tax Fund (TETFUD). He also reminded the people that his government had always accommodated them optimally in its transformation agenda, especially as regards education, agriculture, health and other sectors, assuring them of more attention if re-elected.

“We inherited polio cases, which were deforming our children, from our predecessors. But we resolved that our successors will not inherit polio from us. Also, Guinea Worm used to be prevalent in this state but we have completely eradicated it. If I don’t like the North, I will not invest so much to stop polio in the north. We came on board and established 14 new federal universities – the highest ever achieved by any government in Nigeria. And 10 of the universities are sighted in the North. If I don’t like the North, will I support such plan?

“Remember also that it was here that we flagged off the Almajiri educational revolution, which I performed with the Sultan of Sokoto (Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IV). I came from a very poor background and without education, I could not have become the President of Nigeria today; and I must give that opportunity to every Nigerian child, especially those in similar environment. If you ask the farmers and they don’t tell you that the present administration has helped them more than any other government in this country, don’t vote for us.  If I don’t like the North, will I support the northern farmers?

“So, those politicians who come to tell you that I don’t like the North; just ask them that: Some of you have been in power before; how many universities did you build for us? How many good secondary schools did you build for our children in the North? In what ways did you help the northern farmers who are known for farming?” He spoke, amid thunderous yelling of acceptance.

Former governor Bafarawa, in his earlier speech had assured the President and the national leadership of the PDP that the people of Sokoto State will vote overwhelmingly for the party across board during the February general elections.

The former governor, who joined the PDP from APC last year is currently the Chairman of PDP Elder’s Forum in the state and still boasts of immense followership. He reminded the people how the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari toppled the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari via coupe d’état and detained him for about a year and half. He expressed dismay that the same man is now presenting himself for election into the same office that he had stopped their leader from occupying during the second republic.

“It is in history, not mere allegation, that Buhari cooked up allegations, kicked our leader and father (Alhaji Shehu Shagari) out of office without committing any offense and locked him up for almost two and half years and he almost lost his sight. It was when General Babangida took over that he sent Shagari to Germany for treatment to regain his sight. And now, he comes back to Sokoto to tell us democracy! Is he a democrat? No, he is a military man,” he yelled.

Bafarawa also insisted that even the much touted performance of General Buhari as head of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) was a farce as there was no such evidence in Sokoto state; adding that, “Up till now, I haven’t seen the impact of PTF in Sokoto State – no projects. Maybe he ignored us because of our father and leader, Shehu Shagari”.

On the chances of PDP and its candidates at the February 14 polls in Sokoto State, Bafarawa declared that the state had become synonymous with the party and reiterated his earlier promise to President Jonathan in 2014, during his grand reception into the PDP from APC, that the party will deliver clean slates at the 2015 polls. He noted that the state had never been in the opposition in Nigerian politics except between 1999 and 2007 when he was governor under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), adding that even at that, he sensed that his state would not fair well as opposition and  so, “I chose to be ANPP in Sokoto but PDP in Abuja in order to attract federal attention to my people.” He pointing out that as a result that, former President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Sokoto State 14 times during his eight years tenure, to commission legacy projects which the people of the state are still enjoying till date.

“Mr President, do not lose any sleep over the fate of PDP in the forthcoming election. I will not say much on that. Just wait and see: we are going to deliver the governor, the National Assembly and others under the umbrella of PDP,” he boasted.

However, the present atmosphere in the state is that both the governorship and presidential elections are largelt viewed as contest between former governor Bafarawa and the incumbent, Wamakko. And incidentally, both governorship candidates of the major contending parties, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal of APC and Senator Wali of PDP are from the same local government area – Tambuwal. That is also expected to make the game more interesting. But speaking on the situation, Bafarawa insisted that both Tambuwal and Wamakko are his juniors in the game of politics and that they will definitely yield to his superior tactics.

Meanwhile, the vice President, Namadi Sambo, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, Dr Ahmadu Alli and Sule Lamido addressed the gathering in Hausa and were unanimous in wooing them to vote for PDP candidates in all the elections.

The Vice President, who thanked the people for routing for PDP, disclosed that federal government had concluded plans to run a modern rail line from Kaura Namoda to Sokoto and link it to Niger Republic to help them for easy transportation and movement of goods and services.

For governor Akpabio, it was payback time for the people of Sokoto. He urged them to vote for Jonathan/Sambo ticket as a mark of appreciation for the massive support which the people of South-South gave their son, leader and father, Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1979 and 1983 when during his Presidential election and re-election respectively. According to him, since then, a special bond had existed between the people of South-South and Sokoto state and urged them not to vote for General Buhari who prevented their leader from completing his second tenure in office; and who is not credible to lead a 21^st century Nigerian nation.

“Nigerians are aware that the world has gone digital and today, the budget in this country is done under International Public Accounting System Standard (IPAS). That standard is only understood by people who are well educated. And we are lucky to have a President and Vice President who are not only educated but the President has a PhD and he can show it. We will not be taken backward by people who cannot even show their elementary six certificates. If Jonathan does not have a degree, he would not understand IPAS. So, we are in a period when Nigeria must go digital,” he said.

On his part, the Deputy Governor of the state, who resisted pressures to decamp to the APC with his boss, Governor Wamakko, announced that leaving PDP was not in his plan. Although rumours of his exit was rife after he failed to secure PDP ticket governorship ticket at the last primary election in the state, he maintained that he would remain in the party, thereby dousing apprehensive moods that had earlier pervaded the atmosphere. And immediately he made the announcement, the whole arena went into a frenzy of jubilation.

“Muktar Shagari will not leave PDP but will continue to remain in the party to ensure that Jonathan/Sambo ticket and PDP receive block votes in Sokoto State,” he said.

Meanwhile, after he was officially presented to the people as the official PDP governorship candidate for the State in the February 2015 polls, Senator Abdalla Wali promised to work with all stakeholders; rehabilitate all the displaced and frustrated civil servants and as well attend to all abandoned projects in the state, if elected into office.

 Written by Chuks Eze for the Sun