Former Senator and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Sokoto East, Abubakar Umar Gada, has expressed confidence that the party will reclaim political power in Sokoto State in the 2027 general elections, as scores of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) defected to the PDP.
The defectors, who joined the PDP during the flag-off of Gada’s senatorial campaign in Gwadabawa on Saturday, pledged to work for the party’s success in the forthcoming elections.
Gada, while addressing supporters at the event, urged voters across the district to renew their commitment to the PDP and mobilise support for its candidates, expressing optimism that the party would regain its political dominance in the state.
He described Sokoto East as a traditional stronghold of the PDP, saying the party’s electoral history in the district provided a strong foundation for its return to power.
According to him, the campaign was designed to rekindle the confidence of party members and remind them of their political strength.
‘Sokoto East is traditionally a PDP zone. Past performance data and records have shown that. So, it is just to awaken them and bring back their self-consciousness, determination and readiness to take over,’ Gada said.
The former lawmaker also expressed confidence in his previous performance in the Senate, describing his legislative achievements as a major selling point for his candidacy.
‘I do not want to sound immodest, but I am always proud of my performance the last time I was in the Senate.
‘People have recently made efforts, and I think they have done a lot, but compared to what we achieved at the time, it was absolutely incredible,’ he said.
Addressing the security and poverty challenges confronting communities in the district, Gada called for deliberate government intervention and greater federal attention to areas requiring urgent development.
He said tackling the challenges would require effective policy implementation, strategic deployment of public resources and sustained prioritisation of the needs of vulnerable communities.
The PDP candidate also urged voters to appreciate the power of their ballots, warning that their choices at the polls would have lasting consequences for their future.
Describing votes as the people’s most powerful political weapon, he urged them to elect leaders who understood their challenges and were committed to addressing their needs.
‘They are the power. Their votes are their guns and arsenals. Their voice is their weapon of battle. They should respect and understand that this is their God-given right,’ he said.
Gada warned that making the wrong electoral choices could jeopardise the future of the electorate, urging voters to use their constitutional rights responsibly.
‘If they mess it up, they are messing up their future. If they hold it dearly and use it for the purpose for which it is meant, they will elect credible leadership that is sensitive to people’s yearnings and aspirations and their predicaments,’ he added.
Also speaking, the PDP leader in Sokoto State and National Organising Secretary of the party, Umar Bature, called on residents of Sokoto East to support the party’s candidates and work towards its return to power.
Bature described Gada as a credible and dependable candidate, saying his previous representation in the Senate was marked by the fulfilment of campaign promises.
He said the PDP was determined to reclaim the Sokoto State Government House and win all three senatorial seats in the state.
Bature urged party members to remain united, strengthen grassroots mobilisation and work towards securing victory for the PDP in the 2027 general elections.