Monday, June 10, 2013

Buhari 'tricked' by Bauchi state government officials into missing Atikus' son wedding

Bauchi State government Officials "tricked" Gen. Muhammadu Buhari into missing the wedding ceremony of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar's son, Mohammed and the daughter of former Bauchi State governor Ahmed Mu'azu, Badariyya, on Saturday.

The event which brought together dignitaries such as former head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar, Bauchi State governor Malam Isa Yuguda, PDP national chairman Bamanga Tukur, Business mogul Aliko Dangote, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Below is an account by CPC state chairman Alhaji Aliyu:

"A day to the wedding we received a phone call from General Buhari that he will visit Bauchi because he was invited to the wedding at the Emir's Palace in Bauchi."

"General Buhari said he wanted a low profile visit since it was private. He arrived Bauchi airport in a chartered flight from Kaduna at about 10:15am and we received him together with government protocol officials."

"But the government officials that received him told him that the wedding was shifted to 12:00 o'clock from 11 o'clock, so he proceeded to the house of his friend. We also phoned several government officials to confirm and they said that it was rescheduled for 12:00 o'clock.

"While we waited, we did not suspect any foul play. Then about quarter after eleven a top government official asked us to come to the emirs palace, that the wedding was about to take place. So we arrived at the emirs palace around 12 noon and by then all important guests had departed.

"We don't know who was responsible for this false information, but we believe it was a political ploy to stop Buhari from attending the wedding."

Alhaji Aliyu said on arrival at the emir's palace a mammoth crowd cheered the CPC leader who met with the emir and left.


But Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Danlami Baban Takko denied that government officials tricked the former head of state and led him to missing the event he travelled into Bauchi to attend.

He confirmed, however, that Buhari was received on arrival at the airport by government protocol officers 'as directed by Governor Isa Yuguda' with full respect and honour as a former Nigerian leader and very important guest for the wedding.

Baban Takko said the protocol officers had requested to take Buahri to the government lodge 'where very important dignitaries like former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Aliko Dangote, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and some state governors were kept' but that CPC officials prevented him from going there.

The deputy chief press secretary said government had prepared three executive buses that took all important dignitaries to the venue of the wedding and nobody prevented Buhari from joining them.

On allegation that government officials misled Buhari on the timing, he said: "I am not aware that somebody told General Buhari that the wedding was shifted to another time. But as far as Bauchi State government is concerned he was received with honour and nobody prevented him from attending the wedding."

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