From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kidnappers have abducted some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State during an attack along Kaduna-Kachia road penultimate Thursday night.
It was gathered that the bandits attacked the politicians who were returning from a meeting, at a place called Tashar Icce near Kujama in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.
Although the state police command was yet to issue a statement on the attack, a source said some of the victims of the attack were receiving medical attention at a health facility in Kaduna metropolis.
According to the source, “the politicians were returning from a political meeting with Christian leaders in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area in Southern Kaduna.”
“Among those abducted are the APC House of Assembly candidate from Kajuru identified as Hon.Madaki, and the Vice Chairman of the party in Kajuru LGA, Hon. Reuben Waziri.”
A relative of the vice-chairman, Ben Maigari, confirmed the incident, saying they were yet to be contacted by the bandits.
It was also gathered that during the political meeting in Kafanchan, no fewer than 3,000 clergy and Christian leaders from 11 local government areas that make up Southern Kaduna region, met and interacted with governorship candidates seeking to govern Kaduna State in 2023.
The meeting which was tagged “Southern Kaduna Pastor’s Congress,” had five governorship candidates in attendance, except the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Isa Ashiru, and that of the Action Democratic Congress, ADC, Senator Caleb Zagi, who sent apologies for their inability to attend.
Earlier, while addressing the gathering, the Chairman, Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association, Apostle Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, said the aim of the gathering was to give the candidates the opportunity to speak with the Christian leaders directly about their blueprint and ask questions where clarifications were needed.
Kure explained that the move would forestall the possibility of post-election crisis that may arise because of misrepresentation of facts.
He appealed to leaders of other faiths to also organise a similar engagement with the governorship candidates so that they too could hear them directly to sensitise their people better.
The SKCLA Chairman said apart from the meeting, engagements would continue with governorship candidates with the hope of selecting three candidates out of all the contestants who would be presented to Southern Kaduna Christians to pray and choose from.
All the candidates in attendance took turns to explain to the clergymen what they intended to do for the people of the region, and why they should be supported and entrusted with the leadership of Kaduna State in 2023.
The candidates present included those of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Uba Sani; Action Alliance (AA), Mr. Timothy Adamu; New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi; All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Andrew Duya, and the candidate of Labour Party (LP), Jonathan Asake.
