by James Sambo
Pandemonium overtook the better part of a Pro-Jonathan rally at Minna Trade Fair Complex, Niger State, on Saturday morning, after a stand with dignitaries caved in at about 11:05 am.
Those on the stand were Niger State governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu; deputy governors of Kogi and Sokoto, Yomi Awoniyi and Muktar Shagari; the Secretary to the Federal government, Pius Anyim Pius; Senator, Ministers of Information, Water Resources, Internal Affairs, National Planning and Minister of State FCT.
The rally, organised by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), to garner support for President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of his second term bid was thrown into disorder as dignitaries scampered for safety, with many delegates driving off leaving a very scanty venue.
The host governor, Babangida Aliyu, rushed to the microphone to appeal to the crowd not to leave as the situation had been brought under control. He urged the people of the state and participants at the rally “to consider what happened in one of the stands as a sacrifice for success”.
The senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Gabriel Aduda, blamed the devil for the incident. He said; “Whatever happened here, the devil is a liar. No weapon fashioned against us and Jonathan shall succeed. What happened was because the crowd was too much.”
Although many casualties were not reported, wife of Niger State governor, Hajiya Jumai Babangida Aliyu; Senator-Elect for Niger East Senatorial zone, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu; Director General of Protocol, Captain M. Baro; Director General Public Affairs, Alhaji Tanko Dada; with some protocol and detail officers were some of the unlucky few to sustain injuries.
The affected persons were rushed in National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) ambulances to a private hospital and the state General Hospital in Minna.
The number of casualties could not be ascertained as at the time of this report, as NEMA officials could not be reached.
TAN has been staging rallies across the country in support of the president’s second term bid despite an outcry from political, religious and other groups to desist from convening large gatherings as a way of curtailing the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease.
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