Jonathan’s convoy pelted in Gombe

Restive youngsters armed with stones and other objects yesterday pelted President Goodluck Jonathan’s convoy at three different places in Gombe, where he had gone to address a presidential campaign rally. The youths also set bonfires in Bolari and Jekadafari areas of the state capital. Clashes later broke out between the anti-PDP youths and some Yan Kalare gangs known to support the PDP-led state government. The president’s convoy was stoned at the Central Roundabout, along the Emir’s Drive and near the emir’s palace.

According to one youth who refused to disclose his name, they pelted the PDP presidential convoy in order to express their anger at his disregarding the zoning arrangement his party entered into with Northern Nigeria.

President Jonathan had arrived in Gombe in the afternoon from neighbouring Adamawa State, as part of his campaign tour of the North Eastern states.

Yesterday’s altercations in Gombe were the second in as many days. On Wednesday, when Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari visited the state and addressed a rally, alleged CPC supporters vandalised Jonathan/Sambo campaign billboards all the way from the airport to the centre of town. They also ripped away PDP campaign posters. When General Buhari paid a courtesy call on state governor Muhammadu Danjuma Goje, the governor complained about the behaviour of the CPC supporters, and Buhari roundly apologised for their action. He made a similar apology when he visited the emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Usman Abubakar.

Public Relations Officer of the state police command ASP Ahmed Doma confirmed yesterday’s incident, saying it was only bonfires that were set along Bolari area, near the Water Board, but that the president’s convoy was not stoned.

He added that no arrest was made and police were on top of the situation as normalcy had since been restored.

Reacting to yesterday’s events, acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr. Bello Haliru Mohamed challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prove its worth by sanctioning the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and loyalists of the party’s presidential candidate retired General Muhammadu Buhari over alleged vandalisation of Goodluck/Sambo Campaign office in Gombe.

Mohamed stated this yesterday after President Goodluck Jonathan had inspected the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign office in Gombe. A statement by presidential spokesman Ima Niboro yesterday said the office was “vandalised by supporters of CPC loyal to General Buhari.”

Jonathan inspected the office in company of Haliru, Gombe State Governor Muhammed Danjuma Goje, his Bauchi counterpart Malam Isa Yuguda and other aides.

Niboro said the President inspected the entire premises “which was littered with broken glass from shattered windows as well as damaged railings, billboards and flagpoles.”

The party chairman described the action as “provocative and unacceptable” and called on INEC to investigate the matter and sanction the CPC. He said, “This is provocative and totally unacceptable, a complete deviation from the pact we just signed as political parties towards peaceful and fair conduct of the April general elections. As a law-abiding party we have reported the matter to the authorities and we challenge INEC to prove that it is a fair arbiter by sanctioning the opposition party immediately.”