A half-filled stadium marked the presidential campaign rally of President Goodluck Jonathan at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, as the President rounded off his re-election campaign in the North-West zone of the country on Saturday.
The 25,000 capacity stadium was half filled as many supporters shunned the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate’s rally.
A visibly angry deputy governor of the state, Amb. Nuhu Bajoga, was spotted by our correspondent at the rally, complaining bitterly to members of the local organising committee at the main bowl of the stadium.
He reportedly told the committee to “go and bring the crowd.”
It was gathered that the ‘welfare package” for supporters were allegedly diverted by some unnamed officials of the local organising committee.
Curiously, a section of the stadium, rather than praising the president, started singing “sai Buhari,” a situation that forced security operatives to chase the disgruntled supporters out of the stadium.
The president, who arrived the stadium at about 1.30pm, went round the scanty stadium, before taking his seat.
In his speech, Jonathan said Kaduna was one of the major beneficiaries of the Federal Government and as such, it was payback time for the people of the state to re-elect him in the February 14 election.
He said the state was the focus of the Federal Government in the next four years if elected.
He added that the collapsed textile mills in the state would be revived, so as to create jobs for the teeming youths in the state.
Jonathan noted that the state must work with the party for the development of the state.
Vice President Namadi Sambo had earlier, in his speech, said the people of the state appreciated the gesture of the president for his(Sambo) choice as his running mate in the February poll.
He described the president as patriotic and detribalised and therefore urged the people of the state to vote the party in all the elections.
Sambo said the president loved the people of the region, pointing out that the president was determined to bring back the collapse industry in Kaduna State through the establishment of the 215-megawatt Kudendan Power Plant in the state.
Also, Senate President David Mark said Kaduna was important to the party, as according to him, if the state leads, other parts of the North would follow in the forthcoming election. Punch
