Stampede As Youths Disrupt Buhari’s Rally In Yenagoa

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Stampede as youths disrupt Buhari’s rally in Yenagoa
•Sylva flays attack
From FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa
Wednesday, December 08, 2010


There was pandemonium on Tuesday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital when the youth wing of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) foiled an attempt to disrupt the rally organized for the Presidential candidate of the party, General Mohammed Buhari.

Buhari, who arrived Yenagoa in company of the governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. Famous Daunimugha and national officers of the party was driven straight to the Amarata School field amidst shouts of “Sai Buhari” by the youths wearing tee-shirts with his photograph and that of Daunimugha embossed on them.

The Chairman of the party in Bayelsa State, Mr. Williams Woyinkuro Berezi was in the middle of his speech when bottles were thrown into the arena, causing confusion, as people took to their heels.
Berezi, who was unsure if the bottles would get to the podium, stopped his speech but was urged to continue by majority of the youths who had formed a ring around the dignitaries.

Some women and youths who scampered for dear lives when the bottles were being thrown, sustained various degrees of injuries due to stampede.
However, mobile policemen and some of the youths went to the Melford Okilo Road to confront those who were throwing the bottles and were able to get one of them, who was beaten before he was rescued by the police.

Buhari, who later addressed the people, enjoined them to protect their democratic rights during the 2011 elections.
According to him, Bayelsans must ensure they register; vote during the elections and ensure that their votes count by protecting it.
He listed security of lives and property and tackling indiscipline and corruption headlong as part of the programme the CPC would pursue if elected into government.
On the incident of the bottles thrown into the arena, Buhari said it was the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to protect people during political rallies.
Noting that CPC was not afraid of any party, he said security agencies were duty bound to protect lives of people.

Daunimugha reacting to the incident said as Bayelsans, they would not allow themselves to be scared, as they would ensure that they vote on election day.
“As Bayelsans, we would not be scared. We must vote. We would not allow anybody to intimidate us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bayelsa State government has condemned in strong words, the use of bottles to disrupt the rally organized for Presidential candidate of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Bayelsa, General Mohammed Buhari.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Doifie Ola, in a terse press statement entitled “ Buhari In Yenagoa” said the government condemned the act, adding, however, that it was at a loss why the organizers of the rally did not deem it fit to inform the government about the rally.
He said as a former Head of State, protocol demands that the state government should know when Buhari came into Bayelsa irrespective of party affiliations.

“While we condemn this act with every force at our command, we are at a loss as to why neither Buhari nor his managers thought it fit to inform the state government of his campaign visit to Bayelsa. As a former Head of State, protocol demands that the State Government be in the know. “Governor Timipre Sylva was only informed about General Buhari’s visit only after the unfortunate incident at the rally ground. We consider this improper. Irrespective of differences in political party affiliations, the general and his party have to acknowledge the fact that there is a sitting governor in the state,”he said.