(UPDATED) Bauchi youths stone minister, others at Jonathan’s rally

There was pandemonium on
Thursday at the Ibrahim Babangida
Square, Venue of the Peoples
Democratic Party presidential
campaign rally in Bauchi as angry
youths pelted dignitaries at the
event with dangerous objects like
hammer, stones and slippers
among other things.
The youths, whose source of
grievances could not be
immediately ascertained,
destroyed some of the canopies
and plastic chairs.
The ‘supporters’, who had, before
the arrival of President Goodluck
Jonathan and his entourage,
chanted solidarity songs for the
President and the PDP and
marched round the venue with
their drums and placards with the
President’s picture, became unruly
during the programme and began
pelting dignitaries on the stand.
Security operatives had a tough
time dispersing the restless
supporters, who had stormed the
square in large in large number.
A similar incident occurred on
Monday when Governor Isa Yuguda
and other dignitaries were stoned
at the PDP governorship campaign
rally at the Darazo mini-stadium by
angry youths believed to be
supporters of the opposition All
Progressives Congress.
The FCT Minister, Senator Bala
Mohammed, was pelted with
bottled and sachet water while he
was making his speech and
pleading with the people of the
state to vote for and support
Jonathan and the PDP during next
month’s general elections.
Other dignitaries, who were on the
stand with the FCT minister while
he was making his speech, were
also stoned. Others bent down to
avoid being hit by any of the
missiles.
The minister paused for some
seconds to wipe off water from his
face.
Mohammed called on the President
and other dignitaries to ignore the
ugly turn of events, alleging that it
was the handwork of the
opposition.
“Fellow supporters of PDP, lets
ignore what is happening. This is
politics. It is the handwork of those
who are bent on destroying politics
in Nigeria,” he added.
When he shouted, “Nigeria”, the
crowd shouted back “sai Buhari”,
“sai Baba Buhari”, others chanted
“Bama yi,” “Bama yi”, meaning we
don’t support PDP.
All throughout the rally, which was
very brief, youths chanted their
support for the opposition APC
presidential candidate, Maj. Gen
Muhammad Buhari, saying “Nigeria,
sai Buhari.”