When thugs assaulted Atiku Abubakar’s vehicle in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, on Wednesday, dozens of his supporters from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suffered injuries.
According to information obtained by Channels Television, Atiku’s convoy was ambushed while it was travelling from Ramat Square, the site of the presidential rally, to the Palace of the Shehu of Borno.
Since then, the injured people have been taken urgently to hospitals in the state capital.
Dino Melaye, the campaign council spokesperson for Atiku, stated that the convoy of the campaign council was assaulted, resulting in over one hundred cars in the convoy being vandalized and over 174 supporters being hurt. This was minutes before the presidential candidate ascended the stage.
In a subsequent speech to his throng of supporters, Atiku expressed sympathy for the injured and asserted that no amount of intimidation would be able to prevent the PDP from ousting the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Aso Rock and the Borno State Government House in 2023.
Along with other party chieftains, Atiku was in Borno with his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta State, the governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, and the former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido.
A suspect has been detained in connection with the incident, according to Kamaldeen Mohammed, the state’s police public relations officer.
Since the start of the Fourth Republic, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), now the APC, has been based in Borno.
