The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said that media reports of violence at the All Progressive Congress election rally held in Yobe State were untrue.
There were reports that the event organised to celebrate the Supreme court’s ‘controversial’ ruling in honour of the senate president on Sunday was disrupted when some supporters of Lawan began to stone the Yobe State governor, Mai Buni.
The media report stated that the moment the governor started speaking, the angry supporters, who loudly cheered Lawan who spoke before the governor, began to chant slogans of rejection; ‘bamayi bamayi bamaso,” (which means we don’t want you.)
The report further added that Buni was stoned by the supporters because of his alleged support for Bashir Machina, the Yobe North senatorial district candidate before he was overturned by Lawan through the judgement of the apex court.
In response, the senate president in a statement by his media aide, Ola Awoniyi, said the reports were “outright fabrications and a misrepresentation of what happened”.
He said, “We have noticed some misrepresentations and outright fabrications in a section of the media on events at the APC zonal campaign rally which was held in Gashua, Bade Local Government Area, in Yobe State on Saturday 11th February 2023.
“The offensive reports insinuated that there was a disruption of the rally by a particular group of supporters. The report also alleged that some party leaders were stoned at the rally.
“We categorically state that the claims are far from the truth. They completely misrepresented what happened.”
Lawan added that there was no case of violence as earlier reported and such ‘malicious’ report was sponsored by people who aimed to destroy the unity of the party in the state.
He stated, “The facts are that the people of Yobe North Senatorial District otherwise referred to as Zone C turned out en massse for the rally in demonstration of their love for the All Progressives Congress and particularly to show their appreciation of the achievements of the State Governor, His Excellency, Mai Buni in the last three and half years of his administration.
“The large size and enthusiasm of the crowd was no doubt a show of solidarity and support for their son, His Excellency, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whose candidacy for the Yobe North Senatorial District has just been affirmed by a judgement of the Supreme Court.
“The rally was a further demonstration that the relationship between the people of Yobe North and the Governor is as solid as ever before. It also shows that the APC is both united and solid in the Zone.”
The senate president further enjoined members of the public to discountenance the said report as it was “concocted out of malice.”
He added, “This is what perhaps infuriated the sponsors of the fake news to disparage the party. But they have failed in their voyage to sow seeds of discord among members of the party.“
