By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
A humongous and thunderous crowd, made up of mostly thousands of supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, on Saturday stormed Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, to attend the peaceful rally held in support of the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.
Shettima, a former governor of Borno State for two consecutive terms, between 2011 and 2019, has a large followers in the state due to his unprecedented achievements, which are being consolidated upon by his successor, Professor Babagana Zulum.
Tinubu and his team, made up of members of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, led by the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, who represented the Director General of the PCC, Governor Simon Lalong, was at the Shehu of Borno’s palace as a first point of call.
His Eminence, Dr. Abubakar Garbai Ibn Umar El-Kanemi, in his speech thanked the APC presidential candidate and his entourage for the visit, and prayed for smooth, credible, peaceful and successful campaigns and the subsequent election.
The royal father, however, said that the visit was a sign of respect accorded the traditional council by the visitors and called for improved security and provision as well as rehabilitation of Federal Government basic infrastructural facilities, like federal roads, electricity, resuscitation of the Lake Chad Basin Authority, resumption oil exploration at the Lake Chad Basin and recruitment of the large number of unemployed youths among others, if given the mandate.
Tinubu, before departing to the venue of the rally, thanked the traditional ruler for his blessings, and pledged to give much attention to the traditional institutions across the country if elected as President.
During the rally, the governor of Jigawa State urged the people of the state to vote Tinubu/Shettima and all other APC candidates in the Saturday, 25th February, 2023 general elections.
Addressing the mamoth crowd at the Elkanemi Sport Centre in Maiduguri, the presidential candidate, Tinubu, vowed to run a true government of the people by the people and for the people if elected in next Saturday’s election.
He reiterated that he would run a government of hard work, honesty and accountability in managing the country’s affairs.
“Borno people, I am very grateful to you all for turning out enmasse to welcome us. If elected as your President, I promise to run a true government of the people by the people and for the people.
“I would run a government of hard work, honesty and accountability in managing the country’s affairs.”
The party’s National Chairman, Adamu, also expressed delight at the turnout of the people of the state at the rally.
Expressing confidence in the ability of the party to win the election, Adamu said, “Nothing, apart from the will of God, will deprive us of victory in the election.”
Birno State Governor Zulum and strong man of Borno politics, Ali Modu Sheriff, said that it is pay time for the people of Borno State for Tinubu’s choice of Shettima as his running mate.
Sheriff, who observed that no Nigerian loves Borno more than Tinubu, recalled how Tinubu helped him to win his second term governorship bid in 2007.
Governor Zulum expressed confidence that “Tinubu would uphold the trust the people of Borno would repose in him by electing him president next Saturday.”
The vice presidential candidate, Senator Shettima, in his address expressed happiness at the large turn out.
He also pledged that when given the mandate by electing Tinubu as President, the lingering and much talked-about oil exploration along the Lake Chad Basin would be revisited and its actualization would be ensured, as according to him, resumption of the oil exploration in the region will not only generate income, but also provide job opportunities for the teaming youths and women in the state, and the North East sub-region.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the state chairman of the APC, Hon Ali Bukar Dalori, assured Tinubu that come Saturday 25th of this month, Borno people would vote APC candidates from top to bottom, considering the developmental strides put in place by former Governor Shettima and his successor, Governor Zulum which cut across education, health, agriculture, poverty alleviation, among others.
Kano, Yobe, Jigawa, Gombe and Nasarawa states governors: Abdullahi Ganduje, Mai Mala Buni, Abubakar, Inuwa Yahaya and Abdullahi Sule, respectively; deputy governor of Borno State, Hon. Umar Kadafur; Speaker, Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, as well as several party stalwarts, including former Governors Sheriff, Maina Maaji Lawan; former deputy governors loyal to the party, and APC candidates across board attended the peaceful rally.
