Buhari defies police, shuts down Jos

Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday, defied police order as he addressed a rally in Jos. Buhari’s action was said to have forced Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang to reschedule his planned rally which was earlier fixed for Monday till Tuesday (today). The police had a hectic time controlling excited supporters of Buhari and those of other political parties who were annoyed with the attitude of the CPC supporters. The police in Jos had earlier told Buhari not to come to Jos on the grounds that the Peoples Democratic Party governorship rally was scheduled to hold on the same day and at the same venue. But before Buhari’s arrival, residents of the metropolis woke up to behold a clash between some youths in the Ferin Gada area. The youths were said to be protesting Sunday’s bomb blast in Angwan Rukuba area. The police had to disperse them before they regrouped as the CPC rally got under way at the Polo Field. Two people were said to have been killed, though the figure was not confirmed. Youths from Jenta Adamu, Jenta Mangoro and Apata had gathered to prevent Buhari from holding a rally at the field. The entire stretch of Yakubu Gowon Way, BD Zang road, Ahmadu Bello Way, Old Bukuru Motor Park and Enugu Road were deserted as the CPC youths held sway. They rode their motor bikes dangerously along the road, while they stopped and harassed other road users. But they were dispersed by soldiers attached to the Special Rask Force. Thick smokes of cans of tear gas were expended by the security agencies to keep the surging youths at bay. After Buhari managed to hold the rally, which lasted for less than 30 minutes because of the tense situation, he was smuggled out of the venue by security operatives. The retired General had to take a detour from his earlier route from the venue through Enugu Road to Bauchi Road when on security instruction, he had to turn back as scores of youths had formed a barricade at Jenta Junction. Many motorcycles were burnt while some people sustained injuries as the clashes spread. Shops were hurriedly closed as parents rushed to schools to pick their children. The enire metropolis was engulfed with tear gas as security agents tried to control the irate youths. Journalists had a hectic time entering the venue of the rally just as a NAN photographer and Daily Trust correspondent escaped death by whiskers as they tried to leave the venue after the short rally. It was gathered that the unruly behavior of the CPC supporters prompted an emergency meeting between the security agents where they took the pains to allow the Buhari campaign team to stage the rally. A source at the meeting told our correspondent that Buhari was allowed to hold the rally on the condition that it would not last for more than 30 minutes. But when he visited the state governor, Jang told Buhari that both of them had intervened at one time or the other in the politics of the country as military officers. Jang said, “The former head of state and I were once coup planners, but now we have embraced democracy and therefore doing everything possible to ensure the success of democracy in our nation otherwise we become a pariah nation to the world. “For democracy to succeed, we must play the game according to the rule. I want to advise that the problem is not with us, the problem is with our followers. If we want democracy to succeed, we must have absolute control of our followers, otherwise they will continue to create problems and give wrong impression to the world.” Responding, Buhari told the governor that he was in the state for a presidential rally and to pay a visit to the chief executive of the state. By Jude Owuamanam, Jos