A chieftain of the PDP from Kano State, Dr Usman Dauda, said yesterday that the violence that ensued at the official submission of nomination and expression of interest forms by former Vice President of Nigeria and frontline PDP presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar on Thursday was the “evil machination and heinous campaign of the ruling APC” who are afraid of a strong flag bearer against the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dr Dauda said those behind the commotion that left a few supporters of the Waziri Adamawa injured at the Wadata House PDP Headquarters in Abuja, were desirous of snatching positive media reportage of Atiku’s epochal event.
But in a swift reaction, the APC acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena, said the party had nothing to do with the violence at the PDP national secretariat.
Nabena, who attributed the problem to Atiku’s attempt to show that he had crowd, added that the inability to pay the rented crowd was a major factor responsible for the fracas.
He said, “They don’t have any right to include APC in their crisis because they were the people that went ahead to hire crowd to make Nigerians see that they have the people. After organising the crowd, they were not able to pay them. Based on Atiku’s statement in which he called on all supporters to make sure that they come with crowd to show the other members that he has the crowd to win elections.
“After bringing those people, the time to pay them was a problem. That is why they ran into that trouble. So, APC has nothing to do with it.”
The PDP chieftain, however, said that both the Presidency and the APC were jittery over their inability to nip in the bud the meteoric rise of Atiku’s sun in Nigeria’s political firmament, especially as the 2019 presidential elections beckon.
Dr Dauda said, “APC strategists tried using government administrative apparatus to tie Atiku’s reputation to corruption and also deplete his source of economic strength by attacking his business interests, but they failed woefully. Hence, they are now resulting to hiring hatchet jobbers and agent provocateurs to cause mayhem, and instigate unsolicited provocation of the PDP and other Nigerians who are tired of President Buhari and his party on the litany of their failed election promises to Nigerians.
“Why must Buhari’s government that profited from the principles of rule of law and fundamental human rights, plus the large heart and statesmanship of former President Goodluck Jonathan, be the one to tamper with and trample upon the rights and freedom of fellow Nigerians?” he queried.
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