Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has received the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, at his palace in Sokoto.
The meeting took place on Monday, as the NDC presidential ticket continued its engagements with traditional and community leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi and Kwankwaso were accompanied to the Sultan’s palace by the party’s Sokoto State governorship candidate, Dr Shamsu Haido, and other party members.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the NDC candidates to formally present their political aspirations to the Sultan and seek his prayers and goodwill ahead of the elections.
According to the Sultan’s media team, the engagement was part of the wider political consultations being undertaken by the NDC across the country.
The Sultan also used the occasion to restate his position that the traditional institution would remain open to politicians seeking elective offices, irrespective of their political parties.
A statement signed by Prince Bashir Adefaka on behalf of the Sultan’s Media Team said:
“In continuation of his commitment to providing himself as a father figure to all Nigerians aspiring to political offices in 2027 without favouritism, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Monday, September 28, 2026, received the presidential candidate and vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, respectively, in his palace in Sokoto City, Sokoto State.”
The statement further explained that the Sultan’s position was not limited to one political group, as he had also received other political actors preparing for the 2027 election.
The latest meeting came about two weeks after the Sultan hosted the All Progressives Congress, APC, 2027 Presidential Campaign Council.
The APC delegation, led by its Director-General, Senator Abdul-Aziz Abubakar Yari, visited the Sultan on September 14, 2026.
The delegation included Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu, Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, among other prominent members of the campaign council.
During that earlier meeting, Yari said the APC delegation had come to seek the Sultan’s prayers, guidance and fatherly counsel as the party prepared for the 2027 election.
The Sultan, in response, urged politicians to conduct their campaigns peacefully and focus on issues affecting Nigerians.
He also told voters to carefully consider the promises of political parties and candidates before making their choices in the election.
The two meetings have therefore placed the Sultanate Palace in Sokoto among the traditional institutions being visited by major political groups as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum.
For the NDC delegation, the visit was also part of a broader programme in Sokoto.
After the palace meeting, Obi and Kwankwaso proceeded to engage residents and party supporters in the state as they continued their political activities.
Reports from the state said the NDC candidates held a town hall meeting where issues including insecurity, poverty, education and national development featured in their discussions.
Kwankwaso also acknowledged the Sultan’s reception following the visit.
He described the meeting as an opportunity to meet with the traditional ruler and expressed appreciation for the welcome extended to the delegation.
The Sultan has also continued to use such engagements to call for peaceful political activities.
During his September 14 meeting with the APC campaign council, he warned politicians against turning insecurity and other national challenges into instruments of political division.
He said such issues required serious attention rather than partisan confrontation.
Following Monday’s meeting with Obi and Kwankwaso, the Sultan again emphasised the need for politicians and their supporters to conduct themselves responsibly.
He urged politicians to respect one another and avoid language or actions capable of creating tension among Nigerians.
The monarch also stressed the importance of protecting the unity of the country during the election period.
Nonetheless, the delegation’s meeting with the Sultan was not presented as an endorsement of the NDC ticket.
Rather, the Sultan’s media team described his role as that of a father figure to Nigerians aspiring to political office, regardless of their political affiliation.
In a related development, the Sultan had earlier received the APC Presidential Campaign Council led by Yari as part of the council’s consultations ahead of the 2027 election.
At that meeting, the Sultan called on politicians to concentrate on peaceful and issue-based campaigns and encouraged Nigerians to examine what candidates and political parties promise during the electioneering period.
