Thousands of All Progressive Congress (APC) supporters, as well as residents of Kaduna, waited for 10 hours for the arrival of President Muhammad Buhari who was in the state in continuation of his presidential campaign tour.
As early as 6 am on Friday APC supporters and well wishers besieged the Ahmadu Bello stadium, venue of the event.
However, the president arrived at the Kaduna airport around 3 pm in the company of the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole and governors of Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu, Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari and Lagos, Ambode.
But the journey to the stadium was another nightmare as it took the presidential convoy another one hour to reach the 30,000 capacity stadium which was already filled with party supporters and well-wishers.
Vehicular movement was disrupted as road blocks were mounted by security personnel at strategic places while residents who came to have a glimpse of the president were chanted ‘ Sai Baba ”4+4’ as okada riders, tricycle riders and taxi drivers escorted the president to the venue.
In his welcome, the Director General of Buhari Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi urged the people of the state to vote for the president because he has done enough for the people to give him another mandate.
The asked voters also to elect other candidates of the party as the 16 years of PDP was a waste as they have nothing to offer.
Also speaking, governor Nasir Elrufai said the president since 2003 had never failed to secure the mandatory votes in Kaduna, saying, this time he will get 80 per cent of the total vote cast.
El-rufai remarked that the three states of Kaduna, Kano and Katsina states will give Buhari total per cent of the entire votes.
El-rufai also lambasted the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for celebrating the recent visit of Atiku to America as a scam.
‘There’s nothing to celebrate. His going to America after 12 years is nothing to celebrate. But regrettably, PDP is seeing that as an achievement.
Also, speaking, the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomole was optimistic that the APC under Buhari will coast to victory because of what he was able to do within the short time he held sway.
He asked people to come out en masse to vote for the ruling party.
In his own address to the mammoth crowd, President Muhammad Buhari who spoke in Hausa said he took over a sick nation.
But he contended that within the three and half years he is in power he is able to stabilize the economy and secure some towns and villages who prior to his coming were occupant by insurgents.
Buhari remarked that one of his major achievements was not allowing criminals to have a field day on the nation’s wealth.