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Politics

Sadique, Duguri community differ over cause of attack during APC campaign

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar and residents of Duguri community in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the State have differed on the attack that killed one person and left 15 injured during APC campaign in the town.

The two parties have been trading blame with each accusing the other of being behind the violence.

Sadique accused PDP of being responsible for the attack which left three people in his campaign team injured, but the residents alleged that APC thugs went from house to house attacking residents and shooting the innocent persons inside their homes, and vandalized their vehicles.

Speaking with some journalists in his residence in Bauchi on the recent incident in Duguri, Abubakar said anyone accusing his team of killing is out of his mind.

He said “For the first time in the history of politics in Bauchi state, we are seeing thuggery taking full control of the activities of those who are entrusted with providing security to the citizens.”

He stated “I want to say that, I have been in the security sector for 42 years and I left Bauchi as a young boy of 19 years to go and join the NAF to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians and to also ensure that the territorial integrity of Nigeria and its national sovereignty is not undermined by any forces.

“By the special grace of God, I finished my services after 42 years and I am back home now to Bauchi

“I want you to take note of this information. For somebody who has been in the security sector, who has been at the forefront of ensuring that the lives of Nigerians are protected, their property is protected, for anybody to allege that my team will be going out to kill anybody, I think that person must be out if his or her mind”

Abubakar explained that his campaign team has toured all the 20 LGAs in the state.

“Wherever I go, I urged my supporters not to shed anybody’s blood, it is there for everybody to see and I challenge the Governor to show me just one clip where he told his people not to shed anyone’s blood or take the life of any person

“I am a 3-Star retired General, so I know what it means to really protect the lives and properties of the people, so, I have made it abundantly clear severally that the politics we here in Bauchi is to build but not to destroy, so, we have urged our supporters as I said repeatedly, you can go online and see it.

“I have never urged and will never urge anybody to shed the blood of another person because of politics. We are in the 21st Century which is a Knowledge driven century, this barbaric attitude does not fit this century.

“What we want His Excellency and the PDP to do is to persuade the electorate, persuade them that they should vote for their political party, not to think that by introducing people, they are going to coerce everybody into surrendering because they have seen very clearly now that they will lose the election, the people of Bauchi State have substantially spoken that the PDP has failed, what we want the Governor to tell the people of the state rather than sending thugs to fire at us is to explain to the people why he is not paying salaries, that is what the people of Bauchi State want to hear, the people of the state want to hear why there are 1.4 out of school children, the people of Bauchi are more interested in him giving them explanations as to why the attendance in both primary and secondary schools are abysmally low, the net attendance in the state is 29.9 per cent while the national average is 68.7.

“The people of Bauchi State will be more interested in hearing the PDP government explaining to them why those that have left service are not paid pensions, why some people are collecting salaries and some are not collecting, why payment of salaries is contracted to consultants, these are the fundamental issues that people want to be addressed. This diversionary technique of sending thugs to attack us and then coming out again to blame us will not make the people really lose focus on the main issue.”

Residents of Duguri in Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State have expressed their readiness to drag the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Amb Saddique Baba Abubakar to court for public disturbance in the area.

During a visit to the town to ascertain the situation, residents of the place who spoke severally described the attack on them as well orchestrated by the thugs in order to silence them for no just reason other than political considering that the Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir is from the area.

Alhaji Muhammadu Tanko is the Mai Gundumar Yankari and he was the person delegated by District Head of Duguri, Yaya Adamu Duguri to receive the gubernatorial candidate of the APC and his entourage on the said date.

While narrating what happened, he said that, “I was delegated to receive Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar and his team at the Palace. He came with not less than 50 people into the Palace, after the usual traditional greetings, he requested for water for ablution for prayers which was given to them.”

The old man who could not hide his displeasure said that,”After the prayers, they left for the venue of their campaign lecture, the next thing we heard was shouts and thereafter gunshots, we all ran for safety. At the end of it all, one person was killed while several other people were variously injured.”

Muhammadu Tanko described the situation as a deliberate move to intimidate the people and provoke them so that elections will not hold in the area which they considered as one of the strongholds of the Governor and the PDP.

The traditional emphasized that they have been warned to ensure that they accorded every politician the respect he deserves in their capacities as fathers to all saying, “Other candidates had come here for campaigns and nothing bad happened, why that of the APC? He said that the situation has been reported to the concerned authorities and they as a people are waiting to hear results from the authorities after which they will take the next line of action which is to seek legal redress.

Abdul’aziz Rilwanu Duguri, a 27 year old who just got married 2 days before the incident expressed sadness that he has been incapacitated by the attack which left him wounded with a broken arm and skull.

According to him, “I was at a place where we normally sit to discuss current issues and situation around us. I just got married and came out to greet my friends and buy meat. Suddenly, we saw thugs with sticks and other dangerous weapons attacking innocent people inside the market.”

He narrated further that, “They came for me to kill me because I am the PDP Youths leader here in Duguri. I was lucky to escape with a broken hand and head. We have resolved to take legal action against the APC gubernatorial candidate, Saddique Abubakar and the APC.”

“The PDP Women leader in Duguri who miraculously escaped the attack by the thugs however had her house and a few items in the compound destroyed said that from what happened, the thugs came to the area with ulterior motive.

She narrated that,”I was not even aware that the APC gubernatorial candidate was coming to our area on that day. I was coming back from the market when I saw people running. I asked what was happening but nobody could tell me, so, I headed home only to see thugs carrying sticks and other dangerous weapons going towards our house.”

According to her, ”At that point, I ran for my life as they did not see me but they entered the house and destroyed it. I have never seen such a dirty politics like this. They came to kill us but we thanked Allah that they did not succeed. We are ready to support our leaders on the appropriate steps to take.”

The PDP Women leader however assured that the development though instilled feats in them, will not stop them from coming out on the election day to cast their votes saying, With this, we will show them that we are women of courage. We will troop out to vote for our preferred candidate, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir of the PDP.”.

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