By Bala Ibrahim
Sokoto, the state with the popular slogan of the seat of the Caliphate, was today hit by a political thunderbolt, under the arrival of the campaign train of the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Asiwaju was in Sokoto today, where, along with President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Turakin Keffi, and some prominent members of the party from the zone, they caused a mini-political earthquake, resulting in the cabinet resignation of eleven commissioners from the PDP Government of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
The exciting news, which initially came with the name of someone senior, and one that caused a lot of eagerness and enthusiasm on the side of the APC members, was broken at the podium of the rally by the Director General of the Tinubu/Shetima Campaign Council, H.E. Governor Lalong of Plateau state, who although anxious to announce, restraint himself and therefore called on the national chairman to do so because as he said, the chairman is the legal custodian of the party apparatus of power.
In announcing the good news to the extremely crowded people at the rally, the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu started as usual with prayers, this time around, calling on the crowd to recite the Quranic verse that emphasizes the supremacy of the power of God, viz, La hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah. The meaning of the phrase is, there is no power nor strength except with Allah.
While acknowledging the wonders of God in making these powerful political figures decamp from the PDP as commissioners to join the APC, the National Chairman gave special kudos to the former governor of the state and now a serving Senator, in the person of Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako, for the big surprise he sprang on the party today. Speaker after speaker at the event, everyone acknowledged Wamako as a powerful juggernaut in the political architecture of Sokoto state, with some even saying, this is a mark of the collapse of the PDP Government in the state.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s entry into the rally today was spectacular, as the massive crowd kept cheering him with the popular song of Jagaban, Jagaban, Jagaban! The venue of the event was filled beyond the limit, while all around the city; was a massive gridlock in the metropolis, with every road leading to the venue of the rally jam-packed with people carrying various symbols of the APC and its candidates. Yes, Sokoto State stood still for Asiwaju and the message is clear- come the 25th of this month, the APC is poised to take over the country, along with the state of the caliphate.
To add colour and flavour to the excitement, when he was called upon to speak, President Muhammadu Buhari made his message as unambiguous as possible, saying he was there to mobilize support for the presidential ambition of Tinubu. He told the crowd to cast their votes for the APC’s flag bearer, and when they get home, they should encourage their loved ones also to do the same.
