"Any governor, traditional ruler or prominent person whom Buhari receives a rousing welcome in his domain would henceforth be denied government patronages", a Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) top notch revealed to a chidi opara reports network member in Abuja on Monday 21st March, 2011 at the Party's national secretariat in Abuja.
Checks have shown that the PDP, Nigeria's ruling party led by President Goodluck Jonathan have resorted to muzzling its major opponent in the 2011 general elections, the Congress For Progressive Change(CPC) led by Rtd. General Muhammadu Buhari.
These muzzlings always follow the pattern of using governmental institutions to try and thwart CPC campaigns which are usually attended by mammoth crowds, especially in the North.
In places like Oyo state, PDP governors use their offices to try to deny the CPC presidential flag bearer the use of public facilites for campaigns. In some cases, obscure facilities with very limited crowd capacity are made available instead.
In places like Plateau state, the Police, after granting campaign permits to CPC, attempts to cancel such permits at the last minutes on very flimsy excuses. Such actions, according to Police and CPC contacts are taken to cause confusion and discourage CPC supporters from attending such campaigns.
The spokesperson of the Buahri campaign organization, Mr. Yinka Odumakin recently complained about shabby treatments meted out to his principal in Nasarawa state when on campaign to the state, Buhari decided to pay courtesy visits to some Emirs. Odumakin in a message sent to chidi opara reports and some other news media organizations revealed that "A new dimension was added to the panicky response of the Peoples Democractic Party(PDP) to the fiercest challenge the ruling party is facing from the Congress for Progressive as three notable Emirs vacated their palaces ahead of General Muhammudu Buhari's courtesy call on them.
From the palace of Emir of Nassarawa,through the Emir of Keffi to that of Emir of Lafia;General Buhari met locked palaces in spite of due notices to the affected traditional rulers.
In his usual style of exhausting due process,General Buhari entered each of the palaces to fulfill all righteousness.What he lost in being received by the Emirs was compensated for with mammoth crowds who received him affectionately in each of the emirates.
All the major towns and cities were shut down as the people were thrown into colourful celebrations of his triumphant entry.
Addressing the large crowd which gathered at the palace of Emir of Keffi, the CPC predidential flagbearer thanked the people for their massive support promising to fulfill their hopes and aspirations when he elected president in April,2011.
On the absence of the Emir at his palace,the undisturbed General told the people:
"You shall be presented with the golden opportunity of electing a governor who will respect your traditional institution in a few weeks.I implore you to use your vote wisely".
The absence of the Emirs from their palaces as the time of General Buhari's visit we autboritatively gathered was at the instance of Goverernor Aliyu Doma who reportedly threatened to depose any of them who receives the CPC flagbearer."
