PUNCH
Several governors of the Northern states and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress trooped out on Saturday to drum support for the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, at his campaign rally in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.
The development came about 48 hours after a similar spectacle was recorded in Ibadan, Oyo State, where the APC rally brought the former headquarters of the defunct Western Region to a standstill.
In Maiduguri, major streets of the city, especially those leading from the Borno State Government House to the palace of the Shehu of Borno and El-Kanemi Stadium, venue of the campaign rally, were filled with jubilant supporters bearing colourful APC placards and banners.
In attendance were the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, members of the National Working Committee of the party, Governors Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger).
Others were Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, members of the National Assembly, former chiefs of army staff, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.) and Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), among other members of the party.
But the absence of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai was felt at the carnival-like event.
The heavy campaign train brought human and vehicular movements to a halt in major parts of the city as many supporters abandoned their vehicles to trek long distances to catch a glimpse of the APC presidential candidate.
