News: VIP Seating Collapses At Pro-Jonathan Rally This A.M

UPDATE

News: Niger State First Lady & Other Dignitaries Injured At The Pro-GEJ Rally

Many dignitaries attending the rally in Minna, Niger State, for President Jonathan’s second term ambition, were injured as the podium accommodating them suddenly collapsed, midway into the program. Among the injured was Hajiya Jumai Babangida Aliyu, the wife of Governor Babangida Aliyu, the host governor.The incident brought to an abrupt end the zonal rally in Nigeria’s north central, organised by Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN).The Niger State governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, deputy governor of Kogi, Yomi Awoniyi and deputy governor of Sokoto, Muktar Shagari, the Secretary to the Federal government, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Ministers of Information, Water Resources, Internal Affairs, National Planning and Minister of State FCT were among the dignitaries on the stand.But the wife of Niger State governor, her protocol officer, the Senator-Elect for Niger East Senatorial zone, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu, Director General of Protocol, Captain M. Baro, Director General Public Affairs, Alhaji Tanko dada, some protocol and detail officers attached to some dignitaries were not lucky.They sustained various degrees of injuries.The affected persons were rushed in National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) ambulances to a Bay Clinic (a private hospital) and General Hospital in Minna.The development forced many delegates to head for their vehicles while the organisers continued to address a very scanty audience compared with the crowd before the collapse.Meanwhile, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger has visited the injured at the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna.“As the Chief host, the governor feels highly concerned on the sad incident during the rally.“As usual with the Chief Servant (Aliyu), he is going round the hospitals to commiserate with our visitors. The medical bills will be footed by the state.“Some of the victims of the unfortunate incident have been discharged, while the others are still receiving treatment,” he said.

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There was pandemonium at the Minna Trade Fair Complex on Saturday morning as the venue’s VIP seating area collapsed during a political rally organized by the Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria [TAN] to campaign for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Dignitaries were seated and the venue was packed to the brim when the platform constructed to sit top government officials and chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party suddenly caved in, trapping a few of those already seated. The development sparked panic across the venue with several people scampering for safety. Some people were so scared that they began to hurry out of the venue in droves.

PREMIUM TIMES later learnt that a number of people, including top government officials, were injured and rushed to hospital. When the exodus from the venue threatened to truncate the rally, the host governor, Babangida Aliyu, rushed to the microphone to appeal to the crowd not to leave as the situation had been brought under control.

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Gabriel Aduda, also rushed to the stage to blame the incidence on the devil and opponents of Mr. Jonathan’s administration. Mr. Aduda said,

“Whatever happened here, the devil is a liar. No weapon fashioned against us and Jonathan shall succeed. What happened was because the crowd was too much.”

After a short break, the rally however continued after an alternative seating area was found for important dignitaries. Speaking at the event, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, said the rally was organized to celebrate Mr. Jonathan, who he described as one of Nigeria’s best presidents. Mr. Maku said it was only after he completes another four-year tenure that the presidency would switch back to the North of Nigeria. He said his home state, Nasarawa, would give Mr. Jonathan 95 per cent of its votes in the 2015 presidential election.

TAN has been staging rallies across the country in support of Mr. Jonathan’s reelection bid despite the president personally advising political, religious and other groups to desist from convening large gathering as a way of curtailing the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. President Jonathan has declined to halt the rallies despite widespread calls on him to do so.