A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State, Samuel Yohanna, says there is no political party that does not hire crowds for rallies.
“We are thoroughbred politicians and we’ve been in this game for a very long time. We understand how this thing goes.
“There is no political party that does not hire crowds. It is just that the level each political party hires, sometimes 25 percent, sometimes 10 percent, sometimes 99 percent,” Yohanna said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday.
Yohanna, a former Assistant Organising Secretary for the APC in Kaduna, described himself as a “pragmatic person” and alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party failed to fulfill its part of the bargain with “hired crowds” hence the disruption of the rally of PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Kaduna on October 17, 2022.
“When they (hired crowds) found out that it was PDP’s usual way of deceit, they knew that this money was not going to come and the next thing is to vent their anger on innocent Nigerians that came there for appearance because as far as we are concerned in the APC, PDP is no match to us and 99% of the crow you saw there that day came there on an appearance,” he alleged.
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PDP Has No Money To Rent Crowds
However, a PDP chieftain, Mark Jacob, who spoke alongside Yohanna on the programme, debunked the APC chieftain’s claims, saying that the PDP has no money to hire crowds.
Jacob, who is the Chairman, Venue Committee for PDP Presidential Rally in Kaduna, said it is unfortunate that an official of the APC on national television admitted that the ruling party normally hires people to normally attend its functions.
“The PDP does not have that capacity. The sitting government goes to hire millions of people because they have sources of funding. The PDP in Kaduna has been out of government since 2015 and we don’t have a minister, we don’t have a commissioner that will give us money to hire a crowd,” he said.
PDP, APC Trade Words
Earlier, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, accused the APC of “sponsoring heavily armed hoodlums” to attack Atiku’s rally.
“The aim of the APC for this attack is to frustrate the PDP Presidential Rally, trigger tension, violence and cause bloodletting in Kaduna State. This is contrary to the undertaking in the Peace Accord signed by political parties on September 28, 2022 in which the Presidential Candidate of the APC was conspicuously absent.
“The frustrated APC having realized that it cannot legally and legitimately sponsor candidates for the 2023 general elections has now resorted to violence and attacking our party members and innocent citizens with the aim of derailing the entire democratic process.
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“The APC is intimidated by Atiku Abubakar’s popularity and acceptance among majority of Nigerians following their confidence in Atiku Abubakar’s practical experience, record, capacity, broad-mindedness, Pan-Nigerianism and willpower to unite our nation, revamp our devastated economy and guarantee security of lives and property in our country.
“In any case, our Party is undeterred by such cowardly attack as Nigerians are already connected with our issue-based campaign and Atiku Abubakar’s message of hope which is already resonating throughout the nooks and crannies of our country.”
APC Reacts
However, the APC in Kaduna said it did not send thugs to disrupt Atiku’s rally.
“Certainly, freedom of expression does not warrant levelling unsubstantiated, uncouth and defamatory allegations,” said APC Publicity Secretary in Kaduna, Salisu Wusono.
“The Township Stadium venue of the so-called (PDP) rally was half empty last Monday, to the utter embarrassment of PDP chieftains, in a state that has a former vice president, an ex-governor and a two-term senator, including former National Chairman of the party.
“On the same day, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Jagaban Borgu and APC presidential candidate were in Kaduna to interact with Northern Leaders at Arewa House.
“All roads led to Arewa House as APC supporters, PDP die-hards and non-partisan citizens of Kaduna State trooped to hear Tinubu’s plans for the North when he becomes President of Nigeria by the Grace of God and the people’s votes.
“Consequently, the PDP presidential rally was reduced to a Town Hall meeting and to cover this embarrassment, the party alleged that thugs attacked their members at Ranchers Bees stadium, the statement declared.
“Although arrests have been reportedly made, it beats the imagination how two million people can be cramped into that the Township Stadium whose capacity is certainly less than 5,000 people,” Wusono said in a statement.
