Jigawa governor, APC governorship candidate allegedly booed at annual festival

THE Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar was allegedly booed at Gumel, the headquarters of Gumel emirate in the state.

Reports from the state indicate that the governor was booed when he attended an annual cultural festival organised by the emir of Gumel and the emirate council.

The governor was accompanied by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state and the serving deputy governor, Malam Umar Namadi; the APC gubernatorial running mate, Aminu Usman Gumel; APC state party chairman, Alhaji Aminu Sani Gumel and many high ranking party members.

An eyewitness account who was in the governor’s convoy who preferred anonymity told Tribune Online that “Yes it happened, but it was not much. It was very few people and in some points not the way people exaggerating it.”

According to him, “All started well. We arrived in the town and the venue of the festival was peaceful and we were received warmly. After the event when we are leaving the governor and APC candidate were in the same open vehicle waving at the crowd when they started chanting “Bamayi! Banayi! (meaning we are not interrupting, we are not in support of you)

“While leaving the palace after the event, the governor and the gubernatorial candidate were booed right from the palace until they left Gumel town. They did not even wait to pray maghrib prayers.”

Earlier the Jigawa Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Auwalu D Sankara, posted on his Facebook wall announcing the governor’s attendance at the festival in Gumel.

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According to him, “The Executive Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, is expected to join the Emir of Gumel to celebrate Sallah Gani which will take place at the Gumel Emirate.”

Mr Sankara maintained that “Sallah Gani is an age-old festival observed in Gumel emirate, every year during the Eid Maulud celebration, precisely on the 12th Day of Rabiul Awwal in the Islamic calendar, sons, and daughters of Gumel emirate origin, from all walks of life return home to take part in the prestigious festival.”

When contacted, the special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Alhaji Habibu Nuhu Kila said “it was not true”.

Alhaji Kila maintained that “In the place, thousands chanted telling the APC gubernatorial candidate saying Sai Danmodi.”