Peter Obi’s Town Hall Meeting in Sokoto: How It Went Down and What the Sultan Told Them
SOKOTO — Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Monday took their 2027 campaign consultations to Sokoto, where they engaged party leaders, delegates, supporters and residents on some of the country’s most pressing challenges.
The town hall meeting, held at the Sokoto Guest Inn, focused largely on insecurity, education, the economy, agriculture, railway development, corruption, fuel subsidy and the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Obi told the gathering that his proposed administration would place education, security and national unity among its major priorities.
He described the party’s approach as “demand-driven”, saying political leaders should listen to citizens and understand their problems before developing policies to address them.
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According to him, education would receive particular attention because of its importance to human capital development and the future of Nigerian youths.
On insecurity, Obi said Nigerians should be able to travel, farm and conduct their businesses without fear, while promising greater cooperation with state governments to tackle insecurity.
Obi speaks on fuel subsidy
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One of the major talking points at the meeting was fuel subsidy.
Obi said his administration would tackle corruption and establish greater transparency in the oil and gas sector, adding that subsidy could be restored after the corruption associated with the previous system had been eliminated.
He said the government would seek to transparently establish the volume of crude produced, the transactions involved and the revenue accruing from oil and gas activities.
He also proposed railway connections between state capitals, specifically promising to pursue rail links connecting Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara with other parts of the country.
Agriculture, job creation, skills development, healthcare and youth and women empowerment also featured in his presentation.
‘We won’t bribe voters’ — Obi
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Responding to questions on the 2027 election, Obi said the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket would not provide money to party agents to induce voters.
He described the practice as vote-buying and said adequate security would be provided to protect voters and ensure that votes were properly counted and recorded.
Kwankwaso, for his part, drew attention to the security crisis in the North-West, particularly banditry, kidnapping and the displacement of rural communities.
He said the region required urgent attention to security, education and economic development.
Then came the Sultan
Before the town hall meeting, Obi and Kwankwaso paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, at his palace.
The Sultan’s message to the political leaders was clear: campaign, but do it peacefully and responsibly.
The monarch reminded politicians that they have a constitutional and democratic right to present their manifestos, programmes and ideas to Nigerians and seek their support.
He, however, urged them to exercise that right with decorum and within the law.
The Sultan specifically cautioned politicians and their supporters against abusive language, insults and inflammatory statements capable of heightening tension or triggering violence.
He also warned against using political activities to create hatred, hostility or division among Nigerians.
According to the Sultan, political positions are temporary, while the peace, unity and stability of Nigeria are fundamental to the country’s development.
He therefore urged political leaders, particularly those seeking elective office, to lead by example and ensure that their campaigns did not degenerate into personal attacks or actions capable of dividing communities.
A message beyond politics
The Sokoto engagement therefore had two distinct dimensions.
At the town hall, Obi and Kwankwaso presented their proposed policy direction and sought the support of residents and party stakeholders ahead of 2027.
At the Sultan’s palace, the emphasis was less on political promises and more on how the coming political contest should be conducted.
The Sultan’s intervention comes as political parties intensify consultations and grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
For Obi and Kwankwaso, Sokoto provided an opportunity to take their message directly to the North-West while also receiving a reminder from one of the country’s most prominent traditional institutions that the political contest should not come at the expense of Nigeria’s peace and unity.
This report is based on accounts of the September 28, 2026 Sokoto engagements published by Vanguard and Tribune Online, including reports of the town hall meeting and the separate visit to the Sultan of Sokoto.
