By Nabilu Balarabe
The Yobe All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council has described reports that Governor Mai Mala Buni was stone by some angry youths during a campaign rally in Gashua town also attended by Senate President Ahmad Lawan as untrue.
Some reports had indicated that the Governor was forced to abandon the campaign ground after some angry youths started pelting him with stones.
But Yobe APC Campaign Director-General (DG), Sen. Mohammed Hassan, told journalists at a news conference in Damaturu on Sunday that the reports were not true.
Rather, he said the rally was well attended from people who came to show support for the APC.
He said, “ there was nothing like stoning as reported by a section of the media.”
“ I can tell you that the turnout at the rally was unprecedented, and people from all over came to support the party, our governor and his achievements.”
Also speaking, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, Director-General Press and Media Affairs to Buni, said it was necessary to respond to the “ false, alarming and precarious report to avoid misleading the general public”.
“ The rally witnessed a very large crowd ever seen in the political history of Gashua town. The tumultuous crowd were out to welcome the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, Buni and members of the Campaign Council.
“ Governor Buni walked freely through the crowd acknowledging cheers from the supporters as he walked to the podium.
“ When it became obvious the podium was threatened to collapse with an overwhelming crowd, the DG of APC Campaign Council, Sen. Muhammad Hassan, stopped all speeches after the Senate President.
“ He therefore ordered everyone to get down from the podium for safety before it collapses,” he said.
Mohammed said the rally continued with dances and “ until all the dignitaries left, there was no breach of security and no one was attacked”.
“ It was gathered that much later when the Governor and members of the Campaign Council had departed Gashua, two supporting groups were engaged in disagreements with threats to each other, but never degenerated to attack.
“The publishers of the fake news only engaged in a futile attempt to create an impression of a bad relationship between the people of Gashua and the APC government in Yobe,” Mohammed said.(NAN)
NB/MZA
