BREAKING: Yola flooded by Cameroonians for Atiku’s closing campaign rally

*As Lamido’s endorsement of Buhari dashes ex-VP’s chances of winning

People from Cameroon are said to have flooed the streets of Yola, Adamawa State capital, ahead of the closing campaign rally of the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Our source from the North Eastern state confirmed the presence of the foreigners but did not give details.

It will be recalled that Atiku’s origin of Cameroon has been an issue in the news lately, which the wife, Titi, denied denied.

Details of what the cameroonians are in Yola to do were not provided but, more clearly, they are said to be on ground to boost the campaign crowd of the former vice president, who, according to our findings, is jittery that crowd of President Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) may surpass his own in his own political base, which has implications on his political career and standing in the coming election.

Some other Nigerians, asked to comment on this development, have however expressed concerns that presence of the foreigners in Nigeria at the instance of the main opposition’s candidate needs be monitored by security agencies particularly those in the intelligence department as, according to one of them, it my be another ploy to actualise the plans of some politicians to scuttle the Saturday’s election.

It will be recalled that on the campaign visit of President Buhari to Yola, last Saturday 9 February 2019, the powerful monarch of the home state of Atiku Abubakar,
the Lamido Adamawa, Alhaji Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Musdafa, had endorsed his rival for a second term, appealing to all Nigerians that Buhari needs more time to actualise his dream for the country.

Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party is the main challenger of Buhari of the APC in the 16 February election.

In late November 2018, the Lamido installed Atiku as the 7th Wazirin of Adamawa, a chieftaincy position that pundits expected ought to earn Atiku the political sympathy of the monarch.

It appears the permutations were off the mark as the Lamido has now left Atiku in the political wilderness, in his home base.

By endorsing Buhari, the monarch had now dashed Atiku’s hopes with the ringing endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for coming Saturday’s election.

“Mr. President there is no doubt that much has been achieved during your present tenure, but certainly you need more time to actualise your dream for a better Nigeria”, the Lamido wrote to President Buhari.

“The giant strides and inroads you recorded in various fields of our endeavours such as economy, security and fight against corruption, which still remain the cornerstone of your agenda, would not have been made possible if not for your resilient, focus, passion and love for the country.

“This therefore calls for all and sundry to rally round you and allow you to get to the next level to enable you consolidate the various laudable programmes of your party”, the Lamido said.

It is now clear that the endorsement of the powerful monarch may have punctured Atiku’s hope of mining the monarch’s influence to win his home state of Adamawa. Atiku as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in 2007, failed to win the state.

He again faces an uphill task to win the state on Saturday, analysts said.

From voting records, President Buhari since 2003 has never lost Adamawa State, even under PDP organised elections, one of which, the 2007 election, the late President Umar Yar’Adua confirmed to be flawed.