The campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu roared to life yesterday, with the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) visiting traditional rulers in Sokoto and Lagos.

The council, led by its Director-General, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu I, as part of consultations ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The team included former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, former National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, ex-Borno governor Ali Modu Sheriff, Senators Aliyu Wamakko and Adamu Aliero, among others.

The council also organised a prayer session to kick-start the campaign.

Yesterday’s events followed Sunday’s endorsement of Tinubu’s re-election by more than 500 Northern Muslim women drawn from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at a meeting in Kaduna.

Those at the Kaduna meeting included Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) and Nasir Idris (Kebbi); former Katsina State Governor Bello Masari; Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Finance James Faleke; and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari.

Yari, who is the Marafan Sokoto, a senior chieftaincy title, led the team to the Sultan’s palace before proceeding to Lagos, where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led the delegation to the Iga Iduganran Palace.

At both palaces, Yari said the visits were consultations with traditional rulers and that the exercise would cover the six geopolitical zones.

It was the first official outing of the PCC since its membership was made public on August 22.

The Sultan urged the council to ensure violence-free campaigns.

He said: “Politics is a game of numbers, not of death. In politics, what you need is people. We must not weaponise politics in a negative way. Insecurity is everybody’s problem. You can never eradicate poverty. You can reduce it. You can never eradicate insecurity. But you can reduce it.”

Oba Akiolu declared that Tinubu’s second term was assured.

He said: “There is no vacancy in Aso Villa for the next four or five years.”

Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, explained why he believed Tinubu deserved re-election while speaking before the Oba of Lagos and the Eleko-in-Council.

He said since former President Muhammadu Buhari, from the North, spent eight years in office, the South should also produce the President for eight years.

The PCC, which said it was targeting a minimum of 20 million votes for Tinubu, said its position on zoning and rotation of the presidency was based on the principles of equity, fairness, and justice.

“We will preach President Tinubu’s performance everywhere. Justice demands that the South presides for eight years,” Yari said in Sokoto.

“We believe in justice. President Tinubu has achieved a lot, and we can demonstrate that. We have a lot to showcase,” he added.

No fewer than 1,000 Islamic clerics held a prayer session for the President, the party and the unity and progress of the country during the meeting.

Yari appealed for support for Tinubu, saying members of the council believed the President deserved another term to consolidate the gains of his administration.

He said the council was convinced by the administration’s efforts to address economic challenges, insecurity and infrastructure development.

Yari acknowledged the current economic challenges but said some indicators showed improvement, particularly the availability of funds and economic stability.

He defended the administration’s handling of insecurity, saying Tinubu had continued to provide support and equipment for the military and police to fight insecurity.

Sanwo-Olu described members of the council as eminent Nigerians who had served the country in various capacities, including as former governors, a former Senate President, former speakers and serving governors.

He said Lagos was important to the political process, describing the state as the commercial and economic nerve centre of the country. (The Nation)