Poor turnout as Jonathan takes campaign to Kaduna

Poor turnout as Jonathan takes campaign to Kaduna

A half-filled stadium marked the presidential campaign rally of President Goodluck
Jonathan at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, as the President rounded off his
re-election campaign in the North-West zone of the country on Saturday.
The 25,000 capacity stadium was half filled as many supporters shunned the
Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate’s rally.
A visibly angry deputy governor of the state, Amb. Nuhu Bajoga, was spotted by
our correspondent at the rally, complaining bitterly to members of the local
organising committee at the main bowl of the stadium.
He reportedly told the committee to “go and bring the crowd.”
It was gathered that the ‘welfare package” for supporters were allegedly diverted
by some unnamed officials of the local organising committee.
Curiously, a section of the stadium, rather than praising the president, started
singing “sai Buhari,” a situation that forced security operatives to chase the
disgruntled supporters out of the stadium.
The president, who arrived the stadium at about 1.30pm, went round the scanty
stadium, before taking his seat.
In his speech, Jonathan said Kaduna was one of the major beneficiaries of the
Federal Government and as such, it was payback time for the people of the state
to re-elect him in the February 14 election.
He said the state was the focus of the Federal Government in the next four years
if elected.
He added that the collapsed textile mills in the state would be revived, so as to
create jobs for the teeming youths in the state.
Jonathan noted that the state must work with the party for the development of
the state.
Vice President Namadi Sambo had earlier, in his speech, said the people of the
state appreciated the gesture of the president for his(Sambo) choice as his
running mate in the February poll.
He described the president as patriotic and detribalised and therefore urged the
people of the state to vote the party in all the elections.
Sambo said the president loved the people of the region, pointing out that the
president was determined to bring back the collapse industry in Kaduna State
through the establishment of the 215-megawatt Kudendan Power Plant in the
state.
Also, Senate President David Mark said Kaduna was important to the party, as
according to him, if the state leads, other parts of the North would follow in the
forthcoming election.