No fewer than 74 persons have been hospitalised after suspected thugs allegedly attacked the campaign trail of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
SpyeTV News reports that a total of 70 vehicles were reportedly damaged on the way to the venue of the presidential campaign rally, which took place at Ramat Square, Maiduguri.
Atiku held the rally in the Borno State capital, during which he promised to dredge Lake Chad and continue crude oil exploration in Lake Chad if elected president next year.
An eyewitness said, although the police barricaded the Ramat Square from a distance, the police tried but the thugs overwhelmed them. They were far from where the police were stationed. But others coming towards the square were attacked. The thugs attacked many of them in PDP colours.
“Some of the thugs were carrying dangerous weapons, like daggers, while the smell of weed (marijuana) was all over the streets.” He added that several vehicles on Atiku’s convoy were vandalised.
Condemning the attack, the PDP leadership said the party would sweep Borno State and other states of the federation during the general election. It said the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, would not be able to secure 25 per cent of votes cast in 24 states at the 2023 poll.
Vice presidential candidate of PDP and Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, told PDP supporters to not just go out and vote, but also stay back and protect their votes against theft after voting.
PDP presidential campaign spokespersons, Senator Dino Melaye, said at the last count, about 74 persons were injured and some hospitalised, while 70 vehicles were destroyed in total.
It was the second time since campaign for the 2023 general election started that the PDP presidential campaign would be attacked. The campaign was attacked first in October in Kaduna during the second presidential campaign rally.