President Jonathan escapes mob attack in Katsina

President Jonathan escapes mob
attack in Katsina – On Tuesday,
security forces, averted what was
probably an unpleasant situation, as
hundreds of supporters shouting 'sai
Buhari' attacked President Goodluck
Jonathan's motorcade in Katsina.
Combined unit of soldiers and anti-riot policemen
dispersed the supporters as they surged forward with
the intent to attack the president and his delegation, as
they visited the house of Hajia Dada, mother of the late
President Umaru Yar'Adua in her residence at Yar'Adua
Quarters, Katsina.
There was palpable tension as the president's convoy
drove past the area, with hundreds of Buhari
supporters brandishing brooms, the APC symbol and
welcoming the president with chants of "sai Buhari,"
while some could be heard calling Jonathan "arna," an
unbeliever.
The president was about to emerge from the residence
of Hajia Dada when the crowd suddenly started to surge
towards his convoy, but the timely intervention of the
security forces who fired canisters of tear gas provided
cover for the convoy to speed away.
As the convoy sped towards the Katsina Airport, the
crowd hurled stones at it, but nobody was hurt in the
motorcade.
With the president were Vice President Namadi Sambo,
national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, Governor Ibrahim Shema
of Katsina State, ministers, other top members of PDP
leadership, among others.
As the president's aircraft took off for Abuja, members
of his advance party staying behind were advised to hide
their identity, in order to prevent them from being
attacked by mob.
Jonathan had taken his campaign to Katsina State,
telling the people that he would not have been president
but for the goodwill of the people of the state.
Addressing crowd of supporters earlier at the National
Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in the
state capital, he recalled how he was chosen by late
former president, Yar'Adua, to be his deputy in 2007.
Jonathan, therefore, assured them that as president, he
would do anything required by Katsina people, even
before they asked.
"But for you, I would not have been here today. It was
your own son that brought me as his deputy. Anything
that you want from me, we will do it without you asking
for it," he said.
Jonathan noted that his administration provided
Katsina State a federal university because it was not
impressed that as a cradle of western education, the
state was not served by a federal university.
The president said his administration had also
established 38 almajiri schools in the state with about
18,000 pupils.
On insecurity in the North, he observed that it was a
problem facing other countries of the world, adding that
his administration had been able to deal with the
situation so far because of its focus.
Jonathan asked them to vote for him and Sambo to
enable them to continue to work for the peace and
progress of the state.
Vice President Sambo, in his remarks, stressed that the
Jonathan-led administration had given adequate
attention to Muslims in his administration, in spite of
being a Christian.