Following the attack on the convoy of the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied any involvement in the attack.
Atiku’s convoy was attacked by suspected thugs in Maiduguri, Borno State on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
Several vehicles were allegedly vandalised during the attack.
The PDP presidential campaign spokesperson, Senator Dino Melaye, blamed the attack on the ruling party, saying more than 70 people were hospitalised.
“They wanted to prevent us from doing holding the campaign, as we speak, 74 people were injured and hospitalised.
Several vehicles were vandalised by APC thugs,” Melaye said.
Corroborating Melaye’s claim, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba in a statement said the attack was carried out “by armed thugs sponsored by the disconcerted All Progressives Congress.”
The statement reads in part,
“Our party has information about how agents of certain APC leaders mobilised the thugs with the aim to escalate violence in Maiduguri and prevent the PDP from holding its presidential rally in the state.
“Nigerians witnessed with horror how hundreds of APC’s armed thugs stationed at major roundabouts and intersections in the city of Maiduguri unleashed violence on the PDP presidential campaign convoy and innocent citizens going about their lawful activities in a gruesome attack that left over 70 persons gravely injured and hospitalised.”
However, Bayo Onanuga, the Director of Media and Publicity for the APC Presidential Campaign Council has dismissed the allegation by the PDP, saying the APC had no hand in the violence.
He alleged that the attack could be the result of the in-fighting in the Borno State chapter of the PDP.
Onanuga said,
“I learnt the police and Borno APC had issued reactions to the attack. It is a local issue and not part of our campaign. Our assumption is that it must be from the rival party group.
“You know the PDP is factionalised in that state. It could be as a result of in-fighting within the party but it is certainly not an APC affair.”
Reacting to the incident, the Borno State police spokesman, ASP Sani Muhammed in a statement said the PDP campaign rally in the state was successful.
The police said the State Commissioner of Police, Abdul Umar was at the scene, adding that there was no such incident.
“The Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar was physically present to supervise the place. The campaign rally was conducted successfully, as tight and adequate security coverage were emplaced throughout the activities.
“The candidate and his party were accompanied to the Shehu’s Palace by the police to pay a courtesy call on the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-amin El-kanemi after which they were escorted until they departed the town,” the statement reads in part.
The police added that one person, Danladi Musa Abbas, who attempted to disrupt the convoys along the airport road was arrested inside a church after a hot chase in an attempt to escape.
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