In this report, ISAIAH BENJAMIN captures the events at the campaign flag-off of the Kaduna State PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Isah Mohammed Ashiru Kudan, on Tuesday.
Human and vehicular movements in Kaduna metropolis were on Tuesday hampered as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Isah Mohammed Ashiru Kudan, flagged off his campaign ahead of the gubernatorial election in March this year.
Some vehicles plying the Kaduna – Zaria route had to either take to one way of the dual carriage way to be able to continue the journey through the mammoth crowd that gathered at the Kaduna International Trade Fair Complex venue of the campaign rally or completely parked aside while the event lasted.
The venue was filled up to capacity with supporters and members of the party as early as 8am for the flag-off campaign that did not commence until about 2pm when expected dignitaries arrived the complex.
Dignitaries, who attended the flag-off campaign included Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who represented the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar; PDP presidential campaign spokesperson, Engr. Buba Galadima; Alh. Sule Lamido, Alh. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, former Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo ,PDP BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, and Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, among several other party’s bigwigs.
Atiku, represented by the former Kano state governor, Senator Kwankwaso charged those in attendance to ensure that PDP candidates are voted all through in the coming elections even as he described the ruling APC as nothing but a total failure.
All the other dignitaries in attendance, who spoke one after the other, averred that the APC stands for hunger and poverty and should be voted out at all levels if Nigeria and Nigerians are to move forward.
Engr. Buba Galadima severally asked the mammoth crowd whether they want to go back to hunger and poverty, to which they responded thunderously ‘no’ with others adding ‘Allah ya kiyaye’ in Hausa language which means ‘God forbid’.
The immediate past vice president, Arch. Sambo also did not spare any words when he called on on the party faithful not to hesitate in voting the PDP government back power.
The immediate past governor of the state, Ramalan Yero also challenged the ruling party in the state to tell the good people of Kaduna state what they have done with the billions of naira he left in the coffers of the state in 2015.
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He therefore called on the electorate not to be deceived with sweet words but no substance to show for it, stressing that every available project were the one done by the PDP administration in the state such as the Yakowa Road, Zaria Water Project, the dualization of the road from Kawo to Luggard Roundabout, among others.
For his part, the former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, Nigerians will have themselves to blame if the present government is allowed to continue for another four years. He called on Nigerians to vote for a party that has their wellbeing at heart in the coming years.
Meanwhile, the governorship hopeful, Hon. Ashiru Kudan, who was at various times a member of the State House of Assembly and House of Representatives, in his speech promised to provide quality governance if voted into power even as he called on eligible voters to vote all PDP candidates and also safeguard their votes on the election days.
“When we form the next government, we will review cases of those who were wrongly sacked accordingly including all those who were wrongly prosecuted for criticising the government of the day which has failed in all ramifications,” Kudan assured.
It would be recalled that the PDP governorship candidate had once defected to the APC and contested the governorship primaries but lost to Governor Nasir el-Rufai in 2015. In 2018 like a prodigal son, he returned to the PDP on the grounds that the APC in the state lacks focus and cannot produce good governance.
All the speakers were unanimous with a call for electorate to vote out the APC and protect their votes against being manipulated.The flag-off campaign was characterised with all manner of funfare ranging from music and drama presentation to other side attractions.
The popular Kannywood actor and musician, Sani Danja, was on ground to thrill supporters with different songs in support of the PDP candidates.
A substantial number of those who attended the flag off campaign adorned the various types of T-shirts and face-caps with various inscriptions showcasing their candidates while hundreds of vehicles which practically took over the roads and caused heavy traffic gridlock were all branded with PDP colours and posters of candidates.
The high-point of the flag-off camapign was the handing over of the party’s flags to the governorship candidate and the three senatorial candidates in te state including others.
Although the crowd that graced the flag-off campaign was apparently unprecedented, but whether such crowd will translate into votes for the PDP governorship candidate against the incumbent Governor Nasir el-Rufai come March this year, only time will tell.
