By Sadiq Abubakar, Maiduguri, Abdulrahman Zakariyau/Paul Okah/Bode Olagoke, Abuja and Mohammed Lawal, Bauchi
Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, came under tension Wednesday when some hoodlums attacked the convoy of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, former Vice president Atiku Abubakar.
The ugly scenario emerged after the PDP flag bearer paid homage to the Shehu of Borno’s palace, HRH Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai Umar El-Kanemi.
A 49-year-old eye witness, resident in Shehuri ward, Aisami Kolo, gave an account of how the confusion that erupted in a telephone interview with Blueprint.
He said: “Immediately the convoy left the Shehu’s Palace, the situation was very terrible and ugly as the presidential candidate’s convoy was attacked by armed youths suspected to be political thugs of some APC candidates, including CJTF, where more than 10 vehicles in the convoy were destroyed with stones and woods.”
Also in yet another account, a 32-year-old woman, Yagana Modu, said:” I saw with my naked eyes youths numbering up to 50 with cutlasses and knives, bearing stern faces loitering around the Dandal road and Premier Cinema side up to the Dandal Police Station.
“These armed youths shocked me and created fear and tension in the area as the youths, whom we suspect to be APC members, launched attacks on the PDP convoy. The PDP youths also retaliated and became a scene of serious clash between the PDP and APC youths resulting in majority of the youths injured with knives and cutlasses as well as sticks.
“But I cannot say whether there was any death resulting from the incident or not. However, the number of those injured was high on both sides. The police personnel were helpless as their presence as well as other security personnel, would not dither the hoodlums. Some residents, both young and old, ran away while some others waited to witness the confusion,” said 19-year-old Zanna Adam.
Atiku fingers at APC
Commenting on the development, the former vice president accused the APC of mobilising hoodlums to attack his convoy.
Atiku, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, said hoodlums wielding the flag of the APC attacked the convoy of vehicles conveying dignitaries to Ramat Square, the venue of the rally.
“It is rather unfortunate that the APC in Borno State mobilised some of its members to attack the convoy carrying dignitaries who had earlier paid a courtesy visit at the Shehu of Borno palace to the venue of the rally.
“While it is well understood that such barbaric behaviour is typical of the APC, it must be noted that, this time around, it is specifically the last kick of a dying horse.
“The APC, apparently overwhelmed by the large turn of supporters to greet our presidential candidate, resorted to anti-democratic actions to scare the crowd away from the rally.
“It is a similar pattern to what happened during our rally in Kaduna State and it is important to call the attention of all stakeholders in peaceful elections in Nigeria to the dangerous actions being undertaken by the APC to disrupt our rallies, especially in the North,” Ibe said.
A spokesperson of the PDP presidential campaign, Dino Melaye, had said 74 persons were injured in the attack.
Melaye added that several vehicles were vandalised by the hoodlums.
Melaye, who accused the APC of being responsible for the attack, said the move was to stop the opposition party’s campaign in Borno State.
He stated that the thugs attacked the convoy of the former VP after leaving the palace of Shehu of Borno with stones, sticks, and machetes.
“They deployed their thugs to attack our convoys with stones, sticks, machetes as we left the Shehu’s Palace to come to the Ramat Square, all in an attempt to stop our rally.
“But we want to assure them that nobody can stop us,” the former senator said.
Addressing the rally, Atiku said if elected president in the election next year, he would ensure the problem of insecurity is properly addressed, as well as bringing activities at the Lake Chad Basin back to life and continue with the exploration of crude oil in the state.
He said: “There are three major issues that are important to everyone in Borno State. The most important is that we must return this state to the true meaning of its title as the ‘Home of Peace’. Therefore, my major agenda as far as Borno is concerned is to deal decisively with insecurity and return peace to this state and everywhere else.
“Secondly, I know that there has been an abandonment of activities around the Lake Chad Basin and this comes with attendant problems of people losing their means of livelihood. So, I am going to provide a sufficient amount of resources in both security and infrastructure that will guarantee the safety of lives and property around the Lake Chad Basin.
“Thirdly, given the enormity of security challenges, the business of crude oil exploration in this state has been put on hold. I will activate the necessary machinery that will ensure that crude oil fields in Borno State are explored, which will in turn make this state more economically viable.”
He thanked the PDP supporters for attending the rally.
Also addressing the rally, the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Alhaji Mohammed Ali Jajeri, called on Borno people to vote against “poverty, hardships and sufferings as well economic empowerment.”
He promised to address unemployment and lack of access to farmlands and ultimately boost their socio economic activities among others.
APC counters
And in a counter, the Borno state chairman of APC, Hon Ali Bukar Dalori said, there was no incidence of attack by APC thugs on any convoy in the state as alleged.
Dalori, in a telephone interview with one our reporters Wednesday, described Dino Melaye as a liar who never owns up and speaks the truth.
“I am disappointed by the allegations made by Dino Melaye that some APC thugs attacked Atiku’s convoy while in Maiduguri for their presidential campaign rally.
“We all know that, since Governor Babagana Zulum took over the mantle of leadership, he emphatically declared in his acceptance speech to ban all political thuggery of any type, across the state. That he has been doing and would continue to do.
“Our ruling party is a law abiding political party, and that was why we as government did not deny PDP venue for their rally as witnessed in some states.
“All I know is that there is no PDP in Borno, and if Dino Melaye lacked what to tell the people of Borno on how to solicit for their votes, he should desist from fabricating lies against our party,” Dalori stated.
Police
In its reaction, the Borno state Police Command confirmed the attacks on the Atiku’s convoy “around Maidoki (House Man) where some unscrupulous elements tried to disrupt the movement of the convoy, and a suspect named Danladi Musa Abbas, 32 years, ran into a church around the roundabout.”
Addressing journalists in Maiduguri, the command’s spokesman, ASP Sani Shatambaya, said the suspect was arrested for attempting to disrupt the convoy, and in police custody undergoing interrogation.
Shatambaya said the Commissioner of Police, CP Abdul Umar, warned against rumour mongering on the attack, assuring that other suspects alleged to be involved in the attacks of the convoy would be arrested.
He also said the Police guided the convoy to the Shehu’s palace successfully and rally venue where the presidential rally was also conducted peacefully without disruption.
He also said there was no report in any vehicle destroyed so far neither was there any report that somebody died in the melee.
PDP G-5
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state alongside governors of Abia, Benue and Enugu states Wednesday visited their colleague in Bauchi, Bala Mohammed at Ramat House, Bauchi.
Speaking before the meeting went into closed door, Wike said members of the G-5 group would support the Bauchi governor to succeed in his reelection bid in 2023 election.
“We came to solidarise with our friend, the governor of Bauchi state. I know he is seeking for reelection and what we are doing is to look at our colleagues who are in need of our support. This visit will afford us the opportunity to discuss with him on area of advice.
“His Excellency, Governor Bala, has done a lot in Bauchi and I know Bauchi people will vote for him again in 2023,” he said.
Responding, Governor Bala expressed gratitude to the PDP governors for the visit, describing it as a great honour.
“Today, I am very happy to receive my friends, members of G-5 team. I am highly connected with each of them. In politics, you go with the people you share things in common and I must thank them for looking at challenges of my anti-party issue in Bauchi,” Bala said.
NEF tackles Ortom
In a related development, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Wednesday came hard on Governor Ortom over a recent comment attributing killings in the state to activities of Fulani herdsmen.
In a statement by NEF’s director, publicity and advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the forum demanded that killers of villagers in Benue and other citizens in other villages in many parts of the North must be traced and prosecuted, instead of killings being politicised.
The statement reads: “Northern Elders Forum, like other Nigerians, watched the video in which governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, speaks in a manner and language totally unbecoming of a leader, at a time when standards of responsibility and decorum should be at their highest levels. He was apparently addressing citizens on recent killing of villagers which he attributes to Fulani herders.
“Even while making allowances for the established patterns of rhetoric’s and practice of Governor Ortom on inter-communal relations, this latest outburst should be condemned in a most emphatic manner. It does neither justice to the condemnable killings in Benue state, nor to the standing of the governor of his people. The context of a politicised environment does not excuse this latest demeaning outing of Governor Ortom. On the contrary, it diverts attention from the latest tragedy that has befallen citizens and families in Benue state.
“Northern Elders Forum has consistently condemned the state of siege and insecurity under which Nigerians have lived in the last few years. In the North in particular, rogue Fulani elements have stood out as killers, bandits and kidnappers.
“The forum will continue to demand that those who are asking for our votes in 2023 will show in clear and specific terms how they plan to re-secure all Nigerians. They must also demonstrate how they intend to address damaging profiling and deliberate exploitation of passions eminently demonstrated by Governor Ortom.
“The Forum demands that leaders and politicians de-politicise the scourge of insecurity under which we all live. It further demands that killers of villagers in Benue state, and other citizens in other villages in many parts of the North must be traced and prosecuted. Governor Ortom should live up to his oath and his commitment to his mandate to live as a responsible leader of his people.
“He should avoid the temptation to play to gallery which like all Nigerians, is desperate for relief and an end to the killings which pitch them against each other and leads them towards unending conflicts.”
Tinubu’s campaign hits Nasarawa
Amidst all these, the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, forged ahead with his campaign by holding a strategic engagement with players in key sectors of the economy Thursday in Lafia, Nasarawa state.
A statement Wednesday in Abuja by the director, media & publicity, APC PCC, Bayo Onanuga, said Nasarawa state is a major mining hub for many solid minerals in Nigeria, hence the importance of the meeting.
The statement said the state had deposits of gold, barite, coal, clay, lead-zinc, sault, gemstone, silica sand, iron ore, granite, tantalite, marble, mica, cassiterite, limestone and aquamarine.
“The APC presidential candidate Monday met with farmers and agro-commodity traders in Minna where he shared his action plan for the transformation of agriculture.
“At the meeting with the mining community, Tinubu will unfold his plan to make mining a major plank of Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda as laid-out in his policy document tagged ‘Action Plan for a Better Nigeria.
“Since the launch of the action plan by President Muhammadu Buhari on 21 October, 2022 at the State House Banquet Hall, Asiwaju Tinubu has been pitching his proposals to various stakeholders in the country.
“He started his direct engagement with the Business Community in Lagos where business leaders such as Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, Jim Ovia, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Herbert Wigwe and other top chief executives were in attendance,” the statement said.
