Surprise in Jos, crowd too enthusiastic to listen to speeches as Buhari visits for Campaign
By KEMI KASUMU
What happened at Jos, Plateau State venue presidential campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday was unprecedented, many have said.
The state, hitherto presented as likely to be lost by the President and his party’s governorship candidate, gave him highest but greatly overwhelming crowd so far as President Muhammadu Buhari was unable to deliver his speech.
With just experience therefore, the statement towards the end of 2018 by Governor of Kano State Abdullahi Ganduje is now understandable according to some responding.
Ganduje reportedly asked President Buhari to just come to Kano and watch and not wave his hands because, according to him, waving his hands will make the crowd that will greet his campaign in Kano uncontrollable.
The large crowd that greeted their believed President Muhammadu Buhari in Jos this Saturday overwhelmed security at the venue where he should have his election campaign thereby leading him to only waving with his broom at the huge crowd, without him having to deliver his speech.
After arriving the Rwang Pam Stadium, according to Mr. Femi Adesina the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, due to the rapturous and unfeigned, apparently very enthusiastic unprecedented crowd, it was not only almost impossible for the President and members of his entourage to get out of their vehicles but also even when then eventually got out, it took the president almost 30 minutes to reach his seat as security personnel pushed back crowd and struggled to make way.
Later, the crowd, believed to be mostly supporters of the All Progressives Congress, surged toward the podium while some climbed the top of vehicles in the entourage of the President as their chanting of: “Baaaba Oyoyo!”
It was a never-seen-loving-crowd, a respondent told The DEFENDER.
Governor Simon Lalong and the director general of the Buhari/Osinabajo Campaign Organisation, Chief Rotimi Amechi, were, like President Buhari, not also able to deliver any speech at the venue due to the crowd overjoyed spirits.
In the meantime, the President has thanked the people of Plateau State for their show of love for him at Saturday’s campaign rally venue but urged them to be restraint in future campaign.
He gave the appreciation and appeal in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Femi Adesina, after he had returned to Abuja.
