The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, was conspicuously absent at the Peoples Democratic Party rally held in Sokoto on Saturday.
The speaker, a key figure in the PDP, hails from the state.
The rally, held to welcome a former Governor of the state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, back to the PDP, was attended by key party chieftains, including President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and Senate President David Mark.
The PDP governors present at the event were Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, Usman Dakingari of Kebbi State, Liyel imoke of Cross River State, Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Ramallan Yero of Kaduna State, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State, Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State and Idris Wada of Kogi State.
Also at the event were the Minister of Special Duties, Taminu Turaki; former Minister of Defence, Bello Haliru; the National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki; a former Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure; a former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris; and former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Namani, among others.
Addressing the mammoth crowd at the Shehu Kangiwa Square in Sokoto, President Jonathan said PDP will send strong a signal from the state in 2015 to show that it is still very strong.
He also disclosed that the party would soon embark on a tour of the 36 states of the federation to hold rally apart from the zonal ones.
The President enjoined the people of the state not to be deceived, saying: “Bafarawa joining us with his formidable supporters, with (Alhaji Mukhtar) Shagari (Sokoto State Deputy Governor) and other strong politicians here in PDP, Sokoto State is for PDP.
“We want to use Sokoto as an example to show all others that PDP is still the major party in this country.
“We are going round after this rally in Sokoto State.
“Next Saturday, we will be going to Imo State.
The other week, we will go to Kano State.
“We may also go to other states, but the national committee is also working out our zonal rallies.”
Jonathan mocked the legislators that defected to the APC, saying they are afraid of coming back home to test their popularity as they were not supported by the people of their constituencies.
He said: “In fact, I was telling some people when we were coming in this morning and I saw the crowd left and right that if we were running a parliamentary system where the prime minister will look at the political environment in the country and call for early elections, I would have called for early elections.
“Let us see where this noise is coming from, whether they are supported.
“Some people are afraid to go back and contest the seats because in a normal setting, if a parliamentarian leaves his seat and crosses to another party, the assumption is that you have consulted your constituency and they agreed that you should cross over.
“Such a parliamentarian would want to call for early elections to show that he is going with his constituency but in Nigeria, the story is different.
“Well, time will tell.”
The state tour, the President said, is aimed at showcasing the party and its achievements over the year, insisting: “The PDP government is the only one that can bring stability.
“It is the government that obeys the rule of law any day in court, from the smallest court, be it customary court or area court, high court or magistrate or appeal court.
“Whenever they give judgment, we obey.
“We don’t disobey any judgment.
“We obey the rule of law.
“We obey the constitution.
“We have seen some people disobeying some clear provisions in the constitution and are disobeying with impunity.
“And we believe that this will soon be history.
“This is the only party that will continue to hold the tenets of democracy.
“PDP just dey gidigbam.
“No shaking.
“We don’t discriminate based on anything.
“That is why in every polling unit you go, you see formidable support for this great party.
“You go outside Nigeria and ask, how many political parties you have in Nigeria, they say hmm… PDP and others.
“So PDP is the symbol of democracy in Nigeria today.
“And that is why all Nigerians, even those who are not in partisan politics, believe in the PDP.
“When they notice certain goings on in PDP that are not so good, everybody gets jittery because the feeling is that if anything happens to PDP, it will affect the country.
“Religious leaders, business leaders, men and women, who are not partisan politicians, believe in PDP because it is the only party that can stabilise this country.”
Jonathan said the party was not in Sokoto to campaign saying: “Today, we have come because we need to reassure our great followers in Sokoto and indeed the whole country that PDP is still united.
“It is still the party to beat.
“It is sill the party that can lead this country to where we want to go.
“Specially, we have come because we have a great son of Sokoto State, a great politician of the state that you know more than I do, a formidable person whom most of the characters that are talking about politics today came through him, and he has seen that the interest of Nigeria as a nation is superior to his own personal interest.
“He believes that if this country gets to crisis, all of us will lose.
“PDP is the only party that has that vision to lead this country to stability, to lead this country to economic revolution.
“And he and his teeming supporters have today declared for the PDP and to join the party totally and we have come to receive him in your presence, to tell you that in Sokoto State now, we are waiting for the next election, that all people from Sokoto will deliver PDP in all the elections.
“So, when you see Bafarawa and Shagari, you know that in 2007, this is the young man that won the PDP primaries, but for one thing or the other, some adjustments were made.
“And of course you know this has been your great political leader (Bafarawa), who has run this state and created men and women.
“So, if you see these two people coming together in PDP, do you have any other party?
“Where are the others?
“They are no where.”
The National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, formally received back Bafarawa into the PDP and presented him to President Jonathan and other party chieftains, including the National Working Committee of the party.
In his speech, Bafarawa assured the President and other chieftains that the party remains strong in Sokoto State, saying that Jonathan should not lose sleep ahead of 2015 elections.
He said: “Mr. President, I don’t want to tell you too much stories.
“As far as Sokoto is concerned, you go and sleep.
“You don’t have any problem.
“We have been winning the elections and then we have been rigged out and manipulated out.
“Today we are back to the mainstream of PDP.
“There is no other party that would get even councillor in Sokoto, insha Allahu, except PDP.
“This is a message I’m delivering on behalf of my people and the entire people of Sokoto State.
“Mr. President, I want you to go with a clear mind that you don’t have problem in Sokoto State.
“Forget about those who betray you.
“You are not the first victim.
“I was the first victim.
“Everyone in the National Assembly, up to the state level, I helped them to become who they are.
“But for reasons best known to them, you have seen it today.
“We are joining PDP today, not with councillors, not with House of Assembly members, not with National Assembly members, but we are joining PDP with the people who are going to deliver all the elected officers in 2015.
“That assurance, I’m assuring you, we are going to deliver.
“If you have any doubt in Bayelsa, and I believe you don’t have any doubt in Bayelsa, so, don’t have any doubt about Sokoto.
“PDP as a party, with the leadership of our great chairman, we are always amending the constitution.
“This time around, we are going to amend the manifesto of our party.
“In the last 15 years when the PDP was registered, I believe there had not been any amendment attached to the manifesto.
“Therefore, it is good to see that they are implementing what is the manifesto of our party.”
On the road to 2015, Bafarawa said: “Mr. President with us, by the grace of God, we are going to help you by 2015 if you decide to declare.
“That is your own personal interest, but if the party decides to give you support and you become the candidate of the PDP, I’m assuring you, we are going to work for you for the success of our party.
“Therefore, my appeal to all Sokoto people, as I have told you earlier, we joined PDP in principle to build democracy, to build our state and also to build our nation.”
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