Police Justify Tinubu’s Rally Disruption in Niger

•I’ve taken your action in good fate, says senator

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Police in Niger State, yesterday, justified the disruption of a rally organised by Project 774, a political group being coordinated by the Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

The event was meant to rally support for the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Umar Mohammed Bago.

Abdullahi has however said he had taken the disruption of the rally 774 in good fate.

The New Bussa Township Stadium in the Borgu Local Government Area, of the state, venue of the event had been shut down as early as 7am by security agencies.

THISDAY which was at the venue of the event around 10am sighted armed security personnel consisting of men of the Nigerian Army, the Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Federal Roads Safety Corps, and the Vigilante, preventing people from accessing the venue.

Reacting to the development, the Police in a statement by their Public Relations Officer, Mr. Wasiu Abiodun, said the action was to forestall breakdown of law and order.

“The Police had to take over the venue of the planned rally, as a proactive measure due to intelligence received of likely breach of security at the venue.

“Hence, we have to do the needful to avert any possible attack or hijack by suspected miscreants to cause mayhem and breach of peace in the community.

“The Command will not fold its arms and allow act of political violence, avoidable loss of life, destruction of properties and lawlessness,” Abiodun said in the statement.

But Abdullahi, who claimed to have taken the disruption of the rally in good fate, disagreed with the police over its claims that the action was based on intelligence reports.

“If there was going to be any security breach, I think the method we adopted today would have aided the breach if there would be any. What we saw today is love for me. I have addressed them to support all APC candidates, including in Niger North senatorial district and they all agreed.

“I have no explanation as to why force and power were unleashed on my efforts for the party but I took it in good faith and leave it to God. What we have done today has laid to rest any doubt as to whether I’m leaving the party or not. By the Grace of God, we will vote all APC candidates in the coming elections.”

Nevertheless, party leaders and loyalists turned the rally to a road show with massive crowd joined their carnival possession to march through major streets in New Bussa.

Abdullahi had  through his Special Assistant (operations), Mohammed Garba Danladi in a letter dated 27/01/2023 and addressed to the state Party Chairman, Hon. Haliru Zakari Jikantoro notified the party of the planned rally.

In the letter, the senator also stated that the State Working Committee of the party was invited to the ‘Grand Lockdown Rally’ for the candidates of the party and their running mates to galvanize support and positively enhance of the party at the polls.

But the State Working Committee, in a statement in Minna on Monday by the publicity secretary,  Mallam Musa Dan Sarkindaji, said the Chairman of the party, Hon Haliru Zakari Jikantoro, had disassociated itself from the rally.

The statement, titled: “Niger APC Disassociated Herself From Lockdown Rally in Borgu” and directed all party faithful not to honour or attend such rally, claiming that the planned rally contravened unified campaign structure as designed by the party.

 The party, however, urged its executives, stakeholders and party loyalists to attend the grand zonal rally which is scheduled for today, Wednesday, February 2, in Bida, headquarters of Bida Local Government.

 THISDAY learnt that it was Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who is the leader of the party in the state, who instructed the party to stay away from the planned rally.

Further investigations revealed that that the governor was angry because his picture was not in the programme booklet despite being the senatorial candidate of the party in the zone.

Not unexpected, the relationship between Bello and Abdullahi had gone awry since the former showed interest in the latter’s seat at the National Assembly.