Presidency Explains Why Niger Republic Governors Attended Buhari’s Kano Rally

The Presidency has reacted to criticisms trailing the attendance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Kano state presidential rally by two governors from the Republic of Niger.

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, had been seen in company of Governors Issa Moussa of Zinder and Zakiri Umar of Maradi, both from Niger Republic, during the presidential rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that held on Thursday.

While some Nigerians and members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned it, others saw nothing wrong in the attendance of the rally by foreign government officials.

The PDP had on Friday said, “the promise by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state to deliver five million votes to Presidential Buhari in the 2019 elections is predicated on the unfettered opening of our international borders to foreign political interests. What was the true purpose of the invitation of these foreigners to the APC rally in Kano on Thursday? What secret deals did APC leaders make with them at the expense of our national security?”

Whereas a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Director of the APC Presidential Campaign Council field operations, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said no law restricts the free movement of people from West Africa into Nigeria.

Reacting however on Saturday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a press statement that foreign government officials are doing what it takes to tap from “the Buhari phenomenon”.

Shehu said, “What we want PDP to know, there is a Buhari phenomenon that is sweeping across the entire continent. Candidates for national leadership in each country are doing whatever they can to understand the Buhari phenomenon, to copy it, to institute it.

“That’s why people from the African continent…when they had the presidential election in Ghana, there was a candidate who branded himself the Buhari of Ghana.

“When they had the presidential election in Chad last year, there was a Buhari of Chad. They had printed posters with their pictures with Buhari side by side.

“So, Nigeria has been gifted with an honest leader, a man endowed with rare qualities and people are trying to copy that.

“So, if our neighbours from Niger come to witness how President Buhari is doing his politics, what is the problem with that? Is there any law that is broken? Or did they see anyone that will buy vote or collect PVC?

“So, it’s jealousy. They are panicky and jealous. It should worry PDP that nobody is coming across the border to understudy PDP.”