A campaign tour by the All Progressives Congress (APC) took a violent turn after a group of angry youths confronted the party’s convoy, hurling stones and sticks while chanting rejection slogans.
Eyewitnesses said the crowd repeatedly shouted “Bamayi,” a Hausa phrase meaning “We don’t want,” as they blocked and attacked the campaign vehicles, forcing security personnel to intervene and restore order.
One resident described the scene as “chaotic and tense,” noting that the hostility appeared to be directed specifically at the APC team.
The incident occurred in Zaria, Kaduna State, during the party’s by-election campaign tour yesterday.
While earlier campaign stops that day had been peaceful, the Zaria leg quickly descended into violence.
“The mood here was different from other places. People were angry, and they didn’t hide the fact that they didn’t want the APC convoy in their area,” a local witness recounted.
Meanwhile, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai was also in Zaria on the same day, holding a separate rally in support of an African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate.
In contrast to the APC’s reception, El-Rufai was warmly welcomed, with videos showing residents, including some who had earlier confronted the APC convoy, cheering and listening to him without disruption.
The Guild reports that the starkly different receptions have sparked political debate among locals as the state heads into tomorrow’s by-election, with analysts suggesting the events may signal shifting political sentiments in the region.
