Atiku Abubakar touched down in Sokoto on the day the African Democratic Congress officially launched its presidential campaign, and the energy outside was immediate. Supporters lined the airport route in numbers large enough to slow his convoy to a crawl, the kind of welcome that tells its own story before a single speech is delivered.
The ADC used the occasion to call on Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress, framing the Sokoto rally as a moment for voters to consider a different direction ahead of the elections.
Sokoto carries real political weight in northern Nigeria, and the choice to launch there signals where the ADC believes it can build momentum. Whether the crowd at the airport route translates into votes is the question every campaign asks itself after a day like this.
Originally published by AllAfrica.