How Buhari entered Lafia holding a broom and scissors
e held a broom in one hand, there was a scissors in the other as he climbed down the white Coaster bus that drove him and members of his entourage into Freedom Square, venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
General Muhammadu Buhari could not hide his gratitude to the crowd that surged on in admiration of him, as he raised his hands and waved, exposing the scissors he clutched with his left hand.
The reception to usher Buhari onto the red carpet that led to the VIP box of the square was so brief just as the size of the surging crowd was so large that the crowd itself did not take notice of the content of the APC presidential candidate’s left hand. Daily Trust did.
He alighted from the bus to meet six little girls stretching out flowers for him and other members of his entourage including his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the party’s national chairman, John Oyegun, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and his running mate, Silas Agara, as well as Rep Abike Dabiri of Lagos State.
In seconds, Buhari’s scissors was at work; he cut the tape at the sliding door to the VIP box to signal the commissioning of the newly constructed Freedom Square, a multi-million naira facility which has become Nasarawa’s major landmark.
Why Freedom Square?
The same square used to be a small football pitch, built during the old Plateau State from which Nasarawa was carved out on October 1, 1996. The administration of Abdulahi Adamu, the first civilian governor of the state, decided to erect a small shade there to host gatherings, in what metamorphosed into Lafia Parade Ground.
By 2011, the Parade Ground was 16 years old, with age and years of non-maintenance taking a toll on it. On March 22, 2011, the facility was to host General Buhari when he contested the presidency on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC). But truckloads of armed policemen were placed there to deny him access into the facility on arrival to Lafia, just as the then government denied him security, accommodation and other protocols, frustrating his campaign rally in the state.
On Saturday, the same state where he was denied campaign space was to open up its arms in an embrace that began with the commissioning of the latest provision in the state, the Parade Ground now renamed Freedom Square because of what it has become to everyone, irrespective of political affiliation.
By daybreak of yesterday, Daily Trust had a minute discussion with the APC presidential candidate before he departed Lafia. The question was on the scissors he travelled with, to Lafia. His answer was short, but said much about the administration of the old CPC and now APC in Nasarawa.
“APC represents the very best of our society,” Buhari said. “Al-Makura has shown that since 2011.” He said Al-Makura has executed the social contract he had with the people and deserves another term.
Buhari recalled his previous visits to the state since 2011, enumerating projects previously lined up for him to commission, or flag off, as well as inspection of ongoing works. He said: “Anytime I come here, there is one new thing or more for the people to benefit from. Anytime I come, there are projects for me to commission. That was why I decided to travel with a scissors this time around. I came prepared; and I wasn’t disappointed.”
Daily Trust recalls previous visits of Buhari in the state since the inauguration of the APC government on May 29, 2011.
First, Buhari graced the inauguration, making the visit his first since March 22 when he was denied campaign space that same year. He stunned the large crowd when he entered unannounced, into the Lafia Township Stadium, venue of the inauguration of Al-Makura as the third civilian governor.
Buhari had entered the stadium at about 11:20am on foot, and climbed the staircase leading to where other dignitaries were already seated. Midway at the staircase, he stopped and turned to face the arena, raising his two thumbs to the people. The large crowd at the stadium was excited by this, as screams of “Nigeria, Sai Buhari,” rend the air. The crowd surged on, cheering him in what took additional effort from security men to calm.
Drummers and dancers including the state cultural troupe, joined in the “Nigeria, Sai Buhari” chants, making spontaneous music out of it. The frenzy lasted over 10 minutes, and died down only after Buhari took his seat beside the Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Mustapha Agwai.
He did not say anything to the crowd as the ceremony had no room for speeches from dignitaries, but his presence there moved the crowd both during and at the closing of the event. Al-makura had paid much accolade to him during his inaugural speech, saying the struggle for the change process in Nasarawa was inspired by the former Head of State.
He visited again on May 29, 2012, to grace Al-Makura’s first anniversary. Buhari commissioned what has come to be popularly known as Project Shovel, Al-Makura’s infrastructural development programme which entails the provision of urban and rural roads, drains to accompany and secure the roads from erosion, and other physical deliveries.
Buhari unveiled the stone along Lafia-East-Government House-NADP Quarters with spur towards Makon Giji Shendam Road Junction to commission networks of roads paved within the year to give Lafia a facelift from a state capital which hitherto looked like the rundown camp of a defeated army.
He hailed the quality of the roads, and encouraged Al-Makura to continue in that spirit.
He was later driven to Agyaragu, in Obi, where he flagged off the construction of a network of rural roads, which he visited again in 2013 to inspect.
Undying frenzy for Buhari
The Lafia campaign rally kicked off immediately as Buhari and his entourage were ushered to their seats at about 6:15pm. The campaign train was expected to arrive Lafia by 2pm, about four hours earlier. But an ugly incident in Jos, in the neighbouring Plateau State where he first held his campaign before travelling to Lafia, delayed him. Policemen there had bathed the surging crowd with tear gas, forcing Buhari to end his speech abruptly, and to be rushed out to a certain part of the town where he had delays.
There was no wasting of time. The rally started with speeches preceded by the hit song of Right Said Fred, a London based English band titled: “Stand Up (For The Champions)”
Buhari spoke for barely five minutes. He charged voters in Nasarawa State to make necessary sacrifices for the country including escorting their votes to collation during the February polls.
He told large crowds of admirers that Nigeria is a bleeding country that needs the sacrifice of patriotic citizens to recover. He told them in Hausa that all Nigerians of voting age must get their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) to participate in the election, but added that they must be prepared to protect their votes against rigging.
Buhari’s speech was occasionally drowned by echoes of chants for “Nigeria, Sai Buhari,” a popular pro-Buhari slogan in Hausa, and “Nigeria, Sai Changi”, meaning “Nigeria needs change,” by crowds of admirers who thronged the rally venue, with some sittting on rooftops as well as treetops.
Earlier, prominent members of the PDP were introduced to the national chairman of the party.
Some defectors include: Mohammed Iyimoga, who served as commissioner of Lands and Survey, and Yusuf Loko, former commissioner of Education, and later Commerce and Industries, as well as Mustapha Awe, former information commissioner. A former special adviser, Mohammed Oshafu, and Chief of Staff to Doma, Tanko Zubairu, all filed out and handed out their old PDP cards.
Prince Haruna, a former ANPP zonal chairman who rejected the APC merger, and later defected to the PDP, and Waziri Tedde, a former PDP zonal officer were also received by Oyegun.
Ado Tashia, a prominent youth leader of the PDP, Waziri Thomas, and a former ward chairmen of the PDP, led nine other former ward chairmen to defect, just as three former aspirants in the November 2014 PDP House of Assembly primary elections in Akwanga, namely Haruna Yakubu, Hassan Haske, Chuma and Patrick Gudi handed out their PDP membership cards at the rally. Haruna Danjuma Nunku, a former Akwanga deputy speaker led serving councillors from the area to defect.
Oyegun also received two former lawmakers, Senator John Danboyi, and Rep. Mohammed Danbala Al-Makura. Danboyi was in the Senate between 2003 and 2007, while Al-Makura served two terms between 2003 and 2011. Only in December, Rep. Al-Makura led the PDP Senate Electoral Committee to Bauchi State. The campaign rally also saw Mwanzan Isa Muhammad, the Akwanga campaign coordinator for the PDP governorship candidate, Yusuf Agabi, into the APC net.