In the early hours of Monday, Okay.ng suspected thugs broke into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members’ gathering at Kaduna’s Ranch Bees Stadium while they were already seated and waiting for Atiku Abubakar to speak.
The thugs reportedly arrived at the location in groups and set up shop in key locations.
Abubakar Shehu, a concerned PDP supporter, said, “We heard noises and before we knew what was happening, thugs had entered to disrupt the day’s proceedings.”
Before security personnel were called in to quell the uprising, the fans who had not anticipated that move started seeking shelter and many of them started fleeing the stadium.
At the time the report was submitted, no one had been arrested. Nevertheless, the rally went on as planned.
Atiku Abubakar, the party’s presidential candidate, responded to the attempt to disrupt the rally by stating, “I have just received emergency reports of attacks on PDP supporters by thugs sponsored to derail the ongoing PDP campaign rally in Kaduna State.
This is against the peace agreement that all parties agreed to just a few weeks ago and is undemocratic.
“I want President Muhammadu Buhari to order all parties’ followers and members to order and make sure that campaigns are maintained in a free, fair, and secure manner, just like the elections themselves.”
In like manners, the Director General of the PDP presidential campaign council, Gov Aminu Waziri Tambuwal also spoke against the perpetrators of the attack, stating that it will not stop the victory of the PDP.
The party claimed on Sunday that certain anti-democratic forces had planned to incite conflict and obstruct the party’s activities in Kaduna State because they were uneasy and dissatisfied with the success of the current reconciliation efforts, the stability of the party, and its popularity.
“Our party’s position is predicated on information at our disposal about how these anti-party elements who are not pleased with the campaign victories achieved by the National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu, and other Party leaders, have concluded plots to orchestrate tension and create an impression of crisis within the PDP by recruiting thugs to protest and disrupt scheduled programs of the PDP in Kaduna State,” said Debo Ologunagba, the party’s national publicity secretary.
“The statement stated that the PDP had information on how these people were determined to create a situation to discredit the PDP Presidential Campaign rally in Kaduna State. These people were frustrated by the enormous success of the PDP Presidential Campaign Flag-off in Uyo, the capital of Akwa-Ibom State, last Monday.
These anti-party interests plan to hold a demonstration tomorrow in Kaduna State with false accusations, claims, and self-serving demands in an effort to discredit the National Chairman’s character and the judgment of the party’s highest leadership, including the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Board of Trustees (BoT).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP is unfazed and supporting the good people of Kaduna State as they prepare for our presidential campaign rally, which will take place peacefully in Kaduna State.
The All Progressives Congress (APCmismanagement )’s of our country is the reason Nigerians are supporting Atiku Abubakar and the PDP, and our party will never be sidetracked from this purpose.
