By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) kicked off its presidential campaign rally for the 2027 presidential election in Sokoto State on Wednesday with crowd welcoming the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The party said thousands of supporters lined the route from Sultan Muhammad III International Airport to its state secretariat, where Atiku’s campaign rally was held.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, said the former vice president’s motorcade took about three and a half hours to reach the rally venue due to the large turnout.

He said residents, including youths, women and elderly people, abandoned their businesses and other daily activities to join the procession and welcome the ADC candidate.

The campaign council described the turnout as spontaneous, dismissing suggestions that the crowd was mobilised through financial inducements.

It said the reception demonstrated growing support for Atiku’s promise to address the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, particularly the rising costs of food, transportation, fuel and other essential commodities.Nigeria travel guide

The ADC also accused the Sokoto State Government of frustrating its campaign activities by denying the party access to public facilities requested for the rally.

According to the campaign council, the alleged restrictions did not discourage supporters but rather heightened public resentment and strengthened the party’s mobilisation.

“The federal government and its APC allies should understand that denying people a venue cannot suppress their political choices. In Sokoto, those efforts backfired: the people came out in even greater numbers and made their voices heard,” the statement said.

At the rally, Atiku reiterated his commitment to addressing the cost-of-living crisis and restoring economic stability for households and businesses, according to the campaign council.

The former vice president proposed a targeted, production-based subsidy for qualifying petroleum products refined locally as part of his economic agenda.

The council said the proposed policy would link government support to domestic production, reduce fuel costs and ease the impact of high transportation and energy expenses on food prices and household budgets.

It said the proposal was designed to encourage local production while providing relief to Nigerians struggling with the removal of petroleum subsidy.Nigeria travel guide

The campaign council maintained that the ADC’s economic agenda was centred on making essential goods and services affordable, supporting local industries and addressing the hardship experienced by ordinary Nigerians.

“When you have a message that connects with the people, you do not need to rent a crowd. The people show up on their own,” Mr Shaibu said.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, has become the first Muslim senator in the U.S. after securing 2.2 million votes in Michigan, about 52 per cent, to defeat Republican candidate Mike Rogers and Libertarian Lydia Christensen.

Mr El-Sayed, 42, an immigrant born to Egyptian parents, fought a hard-won victory given his candidacy was highly scrutinised over his ties to Islam and open rebuke of Israel.

Results showed Mr El-Sayed led with 52 per cent, the GOP candidate scored 46.1 per cent, and Ms Christensen got one per cent of total votes cast.

Mr El-Sayed’s candidacy struggled after Haley Stevens, a Democratic candidate he defeated in the primary, withdrew her support two days before the midterm polls.

Mrs Stevens endorsed the Republican candidate, saying she could no longer support Mr El-Sayed over what she described as anti-semitism. She asked Mr El-Sayed to condemn an advertisement promoting his candidacy, which blamed U.S. support for Israel for rising cost of goods and the war in Iran.

Mr El-Sayed declined and publicly uninvited her from a joint appearance they were scheduled to have in Detroit. Ms Stevens withdrew her support two nights before the election.

The move stunned Democrats who viewed her actions as a betrayal to the party. But her clout appeared limited with Mr El-Sayed’s victory at the polls.

Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Mr El-Sayed in Michigan, a presidential battleground where President Donald Trump won by 1.4 points to defeat Kamala Harris in November 2024.

Senator Gary Peters, the incumbent Michigan senator, will retire after his term expires in January, when Mr El-Sayed is scheduled to be sworn in.

APC Tarauni Federal Constituency candidate, Hon. Nasir Bala Aminu Ja’oji, has pledged to prioritise education, healthcare, youth empowerment and economic development if elected into the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections.

Ja’oji made the pledge on Wednesday while addressing party leaders, stakeholders and supporters at the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Tarauni Local Government Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections, held at Fabs Event Centre, Kano.

The APC candidate said education would remain his foremost priority, stressing that he intended to redouble his efforts in supporting students, expanding educational opportunities and facilitating access to government programmes if given the mandate to represent Tarauni Federal Constituency.

According to Ja’oji, his development agenda would also focus on healthcare delivery, economic empowerment, employment opportunities and the advancement of women and young people.

He described the inauguration as an important step towards strengthening the party’s structures, promoting unity and preparing members for the political challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Our mission is clear: to build a stronger APC, promote responsible leadership and ensure the continued progress of Tarauni Local Government, Kano State and Nigeria at large,” Ja’oji said.

He urged members of the newly inaugurated campaign council to demonstrate commitment, discipline, unity and effective grassroots mobilisation, noting that the party’s electoral strength would depend on the collective determination of its members.

The federal constituency candidate said his commitment to public service extended beyond political campaigns, citing several empowerment, educational, healthcare and infrastructural interventions he had undertaken over the years.

Ja’oji disclosed that he recently distributed 100 motorcycles and provided ₦125 million in cash grants to 2,500 beneficiaries across the 10 wards of Tarauni Federal Constituency.

He said the interventions were designed to promote self-reliance, strengthen small businesses and create sustainable economic opportunities for residents, adding that he intended to expand the programmes in the future.

The APC candidate also recalled that in 2024, he provided a ₦50 million empowerment programme for 1,000 youths and women, with each beneficiary receiving ₦50,000 to support micro-businesses.

He further disclosed that another empowerment programme covered four beneficiaries who received ₦1 million each, 200 people who received ₦100,000 each and an additional 100 beneficiaries who received ₦50,000 each.

Ja’oji also said he donated ₦88 million to the Kano APC Youth Coalition to support the party’s youth mobilisation and political engagement across the state.

On education, he said he had assisted hundreds of students in tertiary institutions by paying their registration fees and had also facilitated the payment of WAEC, JAMB and NECO examination fees for thousands of students through the M. Nasir Foundation.

He added that hundreds of youths from Tarauni had benefited from computer literacy and information and communication technology training programmes aimed at equipping them with skills needed to compete in the changing global economy.

Speaking on his humanitarian activities, Ja’oji disclosed that he donated ₦10 million to traders affected by the fire incident at Farm Centre GSM Market in Kano, noting that many of the victims were residents of Tarauni Local Government Area.

He also said he had consistently assisted constituents with hospital bills and family support grants, claiming that the total value of his hospital bill interventions was estimated by Triumph Newspaper at nearly ₦2 billion.

The politician explained that the interventions began before his appointment as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership, a position he said he resigned from to pursue his political ambition.

Ja’oji further disclosed that he furnished a newly constructed hospital in Tarauni to standardise its facilities and improve access to healthcare for residents.

He said his contributions to community development also included sponsoring the Sports Unity Cup, a football competition involving teams from the 10 wards of Tarauni, which was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

According to him, the competition, organised with the support of Hon. Kabiru Dahiru Sule ADS, was aimed at promoting unity, peaceful coexistence and brotherhood among youths.

On infrastructural development, Ja’oji said he had constructed boreholes in the Darmanawa area to address longstanding water challenges, while also undertaking renovation works in the Dan Tsinke area to ease transportation difficulties.

He added that solar-powered streetlights had been installed in some communities to improve visibility and enhance security, while a befitting office accommodation had also been provided for the APC in Tarauni to strengthen the party’s presence at the grassroots.

The APC candidate further revealed that he purchased a special vehicle to convey deceased persons to burial grounds after receiving reports that some residents in a community within Tarauni had been transporting their dead using an A Daidaita Sahu.

Ja’oji said his humanitarian activities also covered religious and social obligations, explaining that he regularly distributed essential food items, including rice, millet and spaghetti, to residents during Ramadan without considering their political affiliations.

He added that he sponsored 60 people to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia and distributed cattle and rams to residents during Eid-el-Kabir celebrations to assist them in fulfilling their religious obligations.

On party mobilisation, Ja’oji disclosed that he purchased 12 vehicles for distribution to party structures at the local government, ward and caucus levels to strengthen the APC’s activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking on the political atmosphere in Tarauni, he said he emerged as the APC candidate for Tarauni Federal Constituency on May 15, 2026, through what he described as a transparent consensus arrangement supervised by Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

He claimed that 16 out of 19 stakeholders from the constituency endorsed his emergence, including prominent political figures such as Hon. Abubakar Zakari, popularly known as Habu PA, Hon. Ibrahim Babangida and Engr. Haruna Ahmad Sabo.

Ja’oji said the consensus arrangement had contributed to a peaceful political atmosphere in the constituency, adding that unity among party stakeholders was essential to achieving electoral success.

He also recalled his participation in the October 17, 2026, unveiling of a 30th anniversary history book documenting the creation and development of Tarauni Local Government following its separation from Kano Municipal in 1996.

According to him, the event provided an opportunity to recognise former chairmen and members of the State House of Assembly who had contributed to the development of the local government.

Ja’oji also acknowledged the importance of traditional institutions, citing the traditional title of Adon Garin Kasar Hausa, meaning Jewel of Hausaland, conferred on him by the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar, in recognition of his philanthropic activities.

He said the traditional institution remained an important partner in shaping the future of communities and promoting unity and development.

Addressing APC Kano Central Senatorial candidate and former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, Ja’oji appealed for his guidance, experience and support, expressing confidence that his representation in the National Assembly would benefit the people of Tarauni.

He assured constituents that his proposed representation would be anchored on education, healthcare, youth and women development, employment opportunities and economic empowerment.

Ja’oji also called on the campaign council to ensure that political activities ahead of the 2027 elections remained peaceful, issue-based and inclusive, stressing that every ward and community must be carried along.

He urged party members to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and other APC candidates in Kano State, saying collective efforts would be necessary to secure victory at all levels.

Meanwhile, former Kano State Governor and APC Kano Central Senatorial candidate, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has urged party members in Tarauni to intensify grassroots mobilisation and educate voters on how to vote correctly for the APC in the 2027 general elections.**

Shekarau gave the advice while speaking at the inauguration, where he commended APC leaders in Tarauni for selecting what he described as hardworking individuals to spearhead the party’s campaign across the various elective positions.

The former governor emphasised that the success of the party would depend on effective voter education, particularly among women and other grassroots voters, who must understand the voting process and how to identify the party’s symbol on election day.

“On election day, you won’t see the face of Tinubu, Abba, me, Ja’oji or ADS on the ballot, but that of the APC logo. So people, especially our mothers, have to be sensitised on how to correctly vote for our party,” Shekarau said.

He stressed that every vote was important and urged campaign council members to take voter education seriously to avoid losing votes through mistakes at polling units.

Shekarau also prayed for divine guidance and success for members of the newly inaugurated campaign council, urging them to discharge their responsibilities with dedication and sincerity.

The former governor said he had listened to Ja’oji’s account of his empowerment and humanitarian interventions in Tarauni and expressed satisfaction with the initiatives.

“I have listened to Ja’oji and his interventions in Tarauni. I am impressed and I wish him the best of luck. Let us work together and work towards the success of our party at all levels,” Shekarau said.

He called on party leaders, stakeholders and supporters to close ranks, strengthen their cooperation and work collectively towards securing victory for the APC in the 2027 general elections.