A peace rally organised in Kaduna today aimed at uniting the warring factions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and to fashion out support for the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan has ended with many of the participants sustaining injuries.
The rally, held at the Murtala Muhammed Square in central Kaduna, was immediately called off after the participating groups went against each other. Some of them were stabbed while others got injured from the use of various dangerous weapons by those opposed to President Jonathan and his administration.
At the time of this report, those who sustained injuries had been rushed to the hospital while others scampered as the violence erupted.
The much-talked about rally organised under the Northern Youth Forum and advertised as sponsored by some politicians had brought together participants mobilised from the 19 northern states.
It was supposed to be a pilot for the 20 million man march planned by the PDP in support of the president, believed to be interested in the 2015 presidential election.
But the goal of the rally was cut short when the participants who had been told that the event was to create peace for the entire northern part of the country later heard that the underlying reason for the rally was in support of the president.
“Jubril Tafida, the youth leader of the Northern Youth Forum, told us that the rally was to make us have one voice ahead of the 2015 elections. He told us that the North was divided and that it was time for us to unite,” a participant, Usman Ibrahim told Huhuonline.com on phone Saturday afternoon.
Ibrahim said that as a result, many of the participants volunteered to participate, but that to their amazement, all the participants heard at the rally were praises for the president and not the initial intention for which they attended the event.
“Speakers after speakers said nothing other than commendations and support for President Jonathan and even brought out his banners,” he said. “This angered some of the participants who started by throwing stones and all of a sudden, weapons began emanating from different corners. I escaped and went back to Kano with the N3,000 I was given as mobilisation fee for the rally.”
He added that at a point, the Police began shooting in the air and shooting teargas to scare the people, but the youths defied this and chased some of the politicians at the event.
Most of the politicians, Huhuonline.com learnt, were rescued by the Police while others escaped from the scene, some leaving their vehicles behind.
