Atiku claims massive Sokoto turnout as rejection of economic hardship
Abdullateef Fowewe
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has described a large crowd that greeted presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in Sokoto as a clear sign of public frustration with the current administration’s economic policies and growing support for the party’s affordability agenda.
According to a statement posted by Atiku Abubakar via X on Wednesday, the campaign train was “flagged off in Sokoto amid a mammoth crowd that lined the route from Sultan Muhammad III International Airport to the party’s state secretariat.”
The motorcade reportedly took three and a half hours to reach the venue as people of all ages joined the procession.
“This was not a crowd assembled by inducement. It was a spontaneous turnout by Nigerians who are struggling with the cost of food, transport, fuel and other basic necessities,” the statement said.
The ADC claimed that efforts by the Sokoto State Government to deny the party access to public facilities and place obstacles in the path of the rally only increased turnout.
“The attempts to frustrate the rally only deepened public resentment,” the release stated, adding that “denying people a venue cannot suppress their political choices.”
At the event, Atiku reaffirmed his focus on the cost-of-living crisis.
His proposed measures include “a targeted, production-based subsidy for qualifying petroleum products refined in Nigeria” aimed at lowering fuel costs and easing pressure on transport and food prices.
“The ADC’s message is clear: Nigerians deserve a government that makes life more affordable, supports local production and responds to the hardship people face every day.
“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,” the statement concluded.
