Musa Na Allah Sokoto
The Sokoto State Gubernatorial debate for political candidates organized by Voice of America (VOA) Hausa Service in collaboration with Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto was disrupted by thugs in the state.
The political debate according to the VOA was aimed to give candidates a level playing ground and an opportunity to unveil their blueprints to the electorates of the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The event which started around 10:am on Wednesday was smooth through the first, second, third, and fourth rounds, with gubernatorial candidates of different political parties catching glimpse of the audience listening attentively to their submissions.
Candidates at the debate include Ahamed Aliyu Sokoto of the APC, Saidu Umar Ubandoma of the PDP, Senàtor Umaru Dahiru Tambuwal of the NNPP, Ibrahim Liman Sifawa of the ADP, Aminu Umar of the Labour party and Senator Abubakar Gada of the SDP.
Somehow, a question was thrown to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ahamed Aliyu Sokoto by a PDP supporter on the issue of youth thuggery disrupted the debate and brought it to a halt despite numerous appeals by other candidates.
Blows were exchanged between supporters of the two major parties APC and PDP, and many mobile phones were smashed to the ground.
Many participants described what happen at the venue as an international disgrace as it involved a foreign media organization, the VOA Hausa service.
The debate had been organized successfully in other northern states without hitch except the Sokoto one. A similar event was successfully organized in 2019 by the BBC Hausa service at Umar Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic Auditorium Sokoto.
The issue of youth thuggery in Sokoto has been a borne of contention between APC and PDP, the two major political parties in the state with each accusing the other of harboring disgruntled youths and feeding them with hard drugs.
Most of the participants interviewed at the venue shortly after the debate was disrupted accused supporters of the two major political parties of disrupting the seasoned event.
