The streets of Maiduguri was agog on Saturday as supporters of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) defied hours of rain to welcome Alhaji Rabiu Kwankawaso, the party’s presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2023 presidential elections.
The former Kano state governor was in Maiduguri to commission the party’s new office and formally launch the party’s activities in the state ahead of the elections.
Clariform notes that Maiduguri is the birthplace of Kashim Shettima, a former governor of the state and the vice presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC). Borno is also a stronghold of the ruling party.
The visit of Kwankwaso is coming barely 48 hours after the APC-led Borno government sealed the NNPP secretariat over alleged infractions of the city’s urban planning laws. However, the government reversed its decision following condemnation by many Nigerians seeing it as a witchhunt of the opposition party.
Clariform recalls that in response to the secretariat being sealed, the Borno government issued a statement denying its involvement in the sealing of the opposition party’s office.
However, in another statement by Borno governors media aide, Governor Babagana Zulum confirmed that the office was sealed by the state government’s urban planning board but admitted that the action was carried out at “a wrong time”.
On Kwankaso’s arrival in Maiduguri on Saturday after a delayed flight due to the downpour, his supporters came all out in mass wearing their signature red caps and defied the rain that caused flooding in many parts of the state capital.
Accompanied by Borno State governorship candidate of the NNPP, Umar Akali, leader of the party in the state, Attom Magira and
Buba Galadima a very prominent politician in the state, Kwankwaso commissioned the party’s secretariat and shortly afterwards proceeded to the old GRA where he addressed the party supporters.
The former Kano governor thanked the people of Borno for their support.
