Buhari barred from visiting Suleja blast victims

Buhari barred from visiting Suleja blast victims –CPC

Details: Category: April 2011 Polls; Published on Friday, 22 April 2011 04:08; Written by Admin; Hits: 1490

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has alleged that the presidential candidate of the party in last Saturday’s election, retired General Muhammadu Buhari was yesterday prevented by the police from visiting family members of the victims of INEC office bombing that claimed several lives in Suleja recently. buhari

The Niger State Chairman of the party, Alhaji Umaru Shuaibu, who spoke to Daily Trust yesterday said all efforts to persuade the police to allow Buhari into Suleja were rebuffed. “Buhari was expected to come to Suleja to commiserate with families of those who died in the bomb blast. He was prevented by security operatives when we were at Madalla to receive him”, he said.

The party chairman who said he was at Madalla with scores of party chieftains to receive Buhari said he was told to remain in Abuja since all routes to Suleja were barricaded against him.

When the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr Richard Oguche was contacted he said they had to call the visit off because of the security situation in Suleja. He explained that it was the mandate of the police to ensure the security of a personality of his status adding that the post election violence that engulfed parts of the state including Suleja posed grave security danger for him.

“There was news that Buhari wanted to come to Suleja but Niger is not safe because of the post-election violence. When they wrote to us for security coverage we wrote back telling them that we cannot guarantee his safety”, he said. The police spokesman however said when the security situation in the state normalises, Buhari could schedule another date to visit families of the victims.

Also there were fears yesterday that Buhari might have been similarly barred from holding rallies ahead of the governorship polls in some northern states. But a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP and Senator elect, Hadi Sirika, told Daily Trust that he was not aware of any order stopping Gen. Muhammadu Buhari from holding rallies anywhere ahead of the governorship elections. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin, also denied knowledge of such order served on Buhari. Hadi Sirika said the planned rallies in about nine states of the North would go ahead as scheduled. According to him, there is no law which prevents a politician from addressing a peaceful rally such as the ones being organized by the CPC to boost their electoral chances during the governorship election Tuesday. (Daily Trust)