The Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday raised the alarm that supporters of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party are planning a mass protest on Saturday to target their members.
The APC members, who formerly dominated the cabinet of former Kano Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, also called on the police and other security agencies to take proactive measures to avoid loss of life and property.
Addressing journalists at the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja, the spokesman of the party in the state and Director General of APC Campaign Organisation, Rabiu Bichi, alleged that since Governor Abba Yusuf took over the mantle of power in the state, the people have been living in fear.
Bichi also disclosed that the NNPP government, which he accused of encouraging its public officeholders and supporters to bully judges, plans to protest on Saturday.
He said, “The NNPP government had resorted to sponsored street protests, including the embarrassing one held recently in London where millions of naira were spent. The aim of the protests to further instil fear in the minds of the people failed, as only a few attended. The government also set aside millions of naira for propaganda in the media to blackmail and harass officials of the former administration.
“Things appear to be getting worse since the embattled leader of the NNPP, Senator Rabi’u Kwankwaso, came back to Kano on Sunday, where he held a meeting of the party’s stakeholders, at the end of which they came up with line up of activities that included unleashing violence to not only eliminate the APC in Kano but also to make it ungovernable in the event of Supreme Court judgment in favour of the APC.
“We have it from reliable sources that they are planning a mass protest on Saturday during which key figures of the APC will be targeted. It is on this note that we call the Kano State Police Command and other security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities and take appreciative measures to avoid loss of life and property.”
While stating that their members are also planning a rally, Bichi denied it was a response to the proposed NNPP protest.
Reacting, the National Auditor of NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, expressed surprise at the allegation of violence targeted at APC members
“The people voted and our candidate won. We really don’t have any problem with them. If the NNPP is having a rally as they claimed, be rest assured it will be a peaceful one. But if the APC is saying they want to have a rally too, it is a ploy to give the police an excuse to say nobody should go on the street to avoid clashes.
“But I can assure you that the NNPP has no intention to cause any problem. We believe the Supreme Court will do what is right to show that what happened at the Court of Appeal was a travesty of justice,” he stated.
