fbpx
2023Politics

2023: Buhari, Tinubu fail to speak at Bauchi APC rally as public address system fails

President Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Ahmad Tinubu were unable to speak at the campaign rally in Bauchi State after the public address system.

A senior official of the party, who doesn’t want to be named, lamented the development, adding that a committee had already been set up to investigate the incident after which “our position will be known”.

He said “We heard that an electric cable connected to the public address system was also damaged, and it seems the committee didn’t come with plan B.

“It was unfortunate that neither the president nor the presidential candidate could speak to the mammoth crowd that came to listen to them”.

The rally took place at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Stadium. The sound went off when the APC National Chairman Sen Abdullahi Adamu was speaking.

President Buhari and Sen Adamu however presented the flag to the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Bauchi State, Amb Saddique Baba Abubakar and raised the hands of Tinubu and Sadique. Buhari went round the podium and waved to the crowd before he left.

Sadique asked the huge crowd and the people of Bauchi State to vote massively for Tinubu to emerge president in next month’s presidential election.

Our correspondent who was at the venue reported that when all efforts to activate the public address system failed, the dignitaries, led by Buhari, Tinubu, Shettima and top officials of the party, left the podium to their vehicles.

Thousands of APC supporters had crowded the stadiumi to drum support for Tinubu to emerge president. Senator Kashim Shettima, APC vice presidential candidate; Senator Abdullahi Adamu and other top party chieftains were at the event.

Earlier before the public address problems, Director General of Tinubu Campaign Council Governor Simon Lalong, Senate President Ahmad Lawan asked the electorate to vote for APC candidates from top to bottom.

Bauchi State Governorship candidate of APC retired Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, promised to enrol more children in school to roll back the high number of out-of-school children in the state.

Sadique promised to reduce maternal and infant mortality in the state. He said he will use his experience in the military and the training he obtained while working with President Buhari as the Chief of Air Staff to improve a lot of people in Bauchi.

“Under Buhari’s administration, we commissioned many Air force Base and units for rapid response to improve security in various States in Nigeria including Bauchi.

“This shows the concern that President Muhammadu Buhari has for the security of Nigerians, I will replicate the discipline I learnt from working with the president to improve security in Bauchi State.

“If given the opportunity I am assuring you the number of out-of-school children in Bauchi state that are up to 1.4 million roaming the streets, we will take them back to school God willing.“I will initiate a program to help the large numbers of Bauchi unskilled youth who are roaming the streets unengaged. “

Today in Bauchi’s hospitals 1,549 women are dying in every 100,000 live births. This shows that the government is negligent, we will address this problem by ensuring access to medical care across the state by building more facilities and services for health seekers.

“We are appealing to the people of Bauchi State to ensure that they vote for all the candidates of the APC in the state. “Bola Tinubu will sustain the good work initiated by President Buhari including the drilling of the crude oil found in Bauchi and Gombe if elected into office.

“I am appealing to the former governors in Bauchi and the party chieftains to join the campaign and work for the success of the party and the good of our people.

“I called on every one of us to join hands to serve our people from the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party”, Sadiq Abubakar said.

A former governor of the state, Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, attended the rally and he endorsed the APC governorship and the presidential candidates.

Buhari had arrived Bauchi to lead the All Progressives Congress’ presidential and governorship campaign rally.

The aircraft conveying the President touched down at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa airport, Bauchi around 10:20 am. He was received by the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who is the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate and his opponent in the March 11 governorship election, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

Others at the airport to receive the President were the APC party chairman, Abdullahi Adamu; Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau; Andy Ubah, Governors of Borno, Kebbi and Yobe states, Babagana Zulum, Abubakar Bagudu and Mai Mala Buni, respectively.

Buhari had proceeded to the Palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Adamu, for a courtesy visit and thereafter headed to the Sir Tafawa Balewa stadium, venue for campaign rally.

Back to top button

Discover more from Dateline Nigeria

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading