There was a poor turnout on Saturday at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, venue of the last leg of President Goodluck Jonathan re-election campaign in the North-West zone of the country as the 25, 000 seater stadium was only half-filled.
The low turnout angered the Kaduna State leadership of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, including the deputy governor of the state, Amb. Nuhu Bajoga, who complained to the local organising committee members and ordered to “go and bring the crowd.”
It was gathered that the ‘welfare package” for supporters were allegedly diverted by some unnamed officials of the local organising committee.
Curiously, a section of the stadium, rather than praising the president, started singing “sai Buhari,” a situation that forced security operatives to chase the disgruntled supporters out of the stadium.
The president, who arrived the stadium at about 1.30pm, went round the scanty stadium, before taking his seat.
In his speech, Jonathan said Kaduna was one of the major beneficiaries of the Federal Government and as such, it was payback time for the people of the state to re-elect him in the February 14 election.
He said the state was the focus of the Federal Government in the next four years if elected.
He added that the collapsed textile mills in the state would be revived, so as to create jobs for the teeming youths in the state.
Jonathan noted that the state must work with the party for the development of the state.
Vice President Namadi Sambo had earlier, in his speech, said the people of the state appreciated the gesture of the president for his(Sambo) choice as his running mate in the February poll.
He described the president as patriotic and detribalised and therefore urged the people of the state to vote the party in all the elections.
Sambo said the president loved the people of the region, pointing out that the president was determined to bring back the collapse industry in Kaduna State through the establishment of the 215-megawatt Kudendan Power Plant in the state.
Also, Senate President David Mark said Kaduna was important to the party, as according to him, if the state leads, other parts of the North would follow in the forthcoming election.
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