By Lanre Oloyede
Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, ahead of their planned town-hall meetings in Sokoto State.
The delegation, which included members of their campaign team, visited the Sultan at his palace on Monday and also condoled with him over the recent death of the Sardauna of Sokoto.
During the meeting, Obi identified insecurity, poverty and unemployment as major challenges confronting Nigeria, stressing the need for collective action to address them. He said his campaign was focused on rebuilding public confidence in the country’s future and creating conditions where citizens could live safely, access opportunities and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Sultan echoed similar concerns, noting that leadership should be regarded as a divine trust and that those entrusted with political authority would ultimately be accountable for how they exercised it. He also highlighted Nigeria’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, describing it as a source of strength rather than division.
Obi assured that his political platform was not about promoting one religion or group over another, but about building a nation where citizens feel secure, prosper and have a sense of belonging.
A notable moment during the visit was the Sultan’s revelation that he had known Obi for nearly 46 years, recalling their first meeting in 1980 when Obi was a first-year student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He said their relationship had remained cordial ever since.
The visit came ahead of a series of town-hall meetings in Sokoto, where Obi and Kwankwaso are expected to engage residents on issues of governance, security, the economy and national development. The engagements form part of the NDC’s wider mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
