… Women all over the trail demonstrated both commitment to the ticket and the ownership of it, they identified with Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani…
…When market women closed their shops it was in solidarity. When married women left their kitchens and came out holding their ladles, it was in solidarity. When masu tuya, masu talle da masu kula da Yara came out, it was all in solidarity with a ticket they felt was their own…
By Ahmad Sajoh
Monday the 16th of January 2023 was a monumental day in the history of Adamawa State. It was a day when the campaign train of the APC took off. It was also a day the party delivered a strong statement to the people of the state that victory beckons assuredly.
The starting point was the palace of Gangwari Ganye. But the journey from Yola to Ganye was severely delayed by enthusiastic crowds waiting along the road all through the length of the trip. At Ngurore for example something dramatic happened. People blocked the road and demanded to just catch a glimpse of the gubernatorial candidate of the APC, Her Excellency Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani. All along the way it was a carnival galore.
At Mayo-Belwa shops were closed and people lined up the streets. Getting to Pakorgel a few meters away from Jada it was like the campaign train should have simply stopped to address the people.
Crowds surged. The motorcade slowed. Songs blared and the gubernatorial candidate and her entourage showed deep appreciation.
With Hon. Abduzzak Namdas on the train, it was certain that Ganye Chiefdom would be electrified. And it was indeed explosive. People trooped out from all corners to welcome the APC campaign train. Somehow the people were ready and willing to come out in solidarity with the APC and Senator Binani regardless of the fact that the real rally for Ganye town will take place the next day.
The love, the solidarity and the commitment were all beyond the ordinary. The euphoria was magical. Guguwar APC, guguwar Binani and guguwar Namdas all combined to create a hurricane in Ganye.
Meanwhile at the Palace of the Gangwari Ganye all the arrangements were for a brief courtesy visit. The gubernatorial candidate and her entourage were simply expected to seek the blessings of the Traditional Ruler as they entered his domain before proceeding to the three Local Government Areas of Toungo, Ganye and Jada.
This is a normal procedure in Adamawa and indeed politics of Nigeria. But neither the Gangwari palace officials nor the APC leadership had prepared for what was to follow. The palace became jam-packed. The crowd kept surging.
When the entourage arrived, it was impossible to even have access to the entrance of the palace. Security men and palace guards were torn between providing safety nets for VIPs and appreciating the mammoth crowd, which was there as a sign of love and support.
Even when Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani came out on the roof of the vehicle to acknowledge cheers and offer thanks to God Almighty, the crowd continued to surge forward. Inch by inch they made their way in.
Inside the palace the usual courtesies quietly took place. The royal presence of the Gangwari could not have been an avenue for politicking. And no one did. After all, the key persons involved were all royalty. Senator Binani is a title holder in the Lamido Adamawa’s palace while Namdas holds a title at the Gangwari’s palace. The DG Campaign Senator Ahmed Hassan Barata is also a title holder in Shelleng.
So none of the key persons on the delegation was a stranger to royal courtesies and nuances. The whole activity was brief, straight to the point and business-like.
However, getting out of the palace and heading for Toungo proved another herculean task. While the palace courtesies were taking place, more and more people had gathered at the Palace grounds. Coming out was as difficult as getting in. The situation was indeed explosive when the candidate and her entourage came out one could feel the palpable air in the atmosphere.
Controlling a generic crowd is most worrisome. Such a crowd is out there for the love of the party and candidates. They have to be appreciated for all the love and support they have shown. And indeed they were appreciated.
Getting to Toungo was delayed. The campaign train got there a little late. But the crowd had waited patiently. They came out for the love of the party and the gubernatorial candidate. Their son the Gangwi of Ganye chiefdom was there. Mansur Toungo, the strongman of Ganye politics, was there. The train came to a halt at the District Head’s palace.
The expectant crowd was torn between putting up a strong welcome at the Palace and going to the venue. The people choose both. The larger part of the crowd remained at the venue, but a huge crowd waited at the Palace.
At the end of the palace courtesies the train left for the venue. The entourage was accompanied to the venue by a huge crowd that lined up both sides of the road mounting what was a respectable guard of honour that ushered the campaign train to the venue.
One thing that was very unique in this first outing was the role of women.
Women all over the trail demonstrated both commitment to the ticket and the ownership of it, they identified with Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani in a manner not known in the annals of Nigerian politics. This gubernatorial ticket, which God Almighty gave to a political Amazon has ignited interest in Adamawa women.
So, when market women closed their shops it was in solidarity. When married women left their kitchens and came out holding their ladles, it was in solidarity. When masu tuya, masu talle da masu kula da Yara came out, it was all in solidarity with a ticket they felt was their own.
This is the first outing for the campaign train. It also produced the first positive impression that the APC and its gubernatorial candidate Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani are on a march to victory. Like all “guguwa” it will ensure a clean sweep for all APC candidates in the 2023 circle of elections. That’s why all we can say to the people of Ganye Chiefdom is just MOMSIRI.