The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar on Thursday took his campaign rally to Kano State where he reiterated his plans to reopen the borders, restore peace and ensure agriculture and industrial revolutions, among others.
However, a major highlight of the rally was his failure and the party hierarchy to recognise either of the party’s parallel gubernatorial candidates.
Daily Trust reports that the agenda of the rally was devoid of the usual handing over of party flags to the party’s gubernatorial candidate.
The opposition party (PDP) in Kano State has been engulfed in a leadership crisis, which culminated in the emergence of two parallel gubernatorial candidates: Mohammad Abacha and Sadiq Wali. While Wali, son of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali, was acknowledged by the electoral umpire in its list, a substantive court judgment had given the mandate to Abacha, son of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha (late).
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At the campaign rally of the party at the Sani Abacha stadium, our correspondent observed that both candidates were together with Atiku on the stage but the former the vice president did not make reference to either of them nor raise the hands of either of them while addressing the crowd.
A source among the party’s hierarchy, who asked not to be named, told our correspondent that the party was being careful, especially as it was expecting the Supreme Court to rule on the issue on Friday (today). “We don’t want Atiku to raise the hands of Abacha today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday), the Supreme Court will say it is Wali that is our candidate,” he said.
In his short speech, Atiku asked Kano voters if they want the return of peace in Kano, as well as a booming agriculture and industries, and the reopening of borders, to which the crowd answered in the affirmative. He said: “Only PDP administration can implement these four policies, that’s why I am appealing to you to vote PDP from top to bottom and I promise you these policies will be implemented.”
The National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, said only the PDP can rescue Nigerians from the current hardship they were facing as a result of the naira redesign and fuel scarcity among others.
He said the voters should see the “running helter-skelter” by governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as it relates to the naira redesign as a sign that they (governors) do not care about the common masses, alleging that it was because the policy affects their (governors) plans for the election that they were running from pillar to post.
The Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on his part, said the in-fighting within the APC was vibrating across the nation negatively and the PDP would not allow it to affect the election.
“Election must hold, free and fair elections must hold. We will not accept any attempt by anybody to manipulate the electoral process. We are aware they have brought in hackers to hack the BVAS and INEC server, we will not allow them,” he said.
Earlier at the Emir’s palace, Atiku recalled how the late Emir, Ado Bayero, the father of the current emir prayed for him (Atiku) that he would become president of the country and appealed to the current emir to also support him with his prayers.
Emir Bayero, who prayed for the successful conduct of the election, urged politicians to prevail on their supporters to shun violence and anything that can cause division among the people.