Buhari’s aide escapes assassination, as APC primary holds

Although the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) had fixed the party’s National Assembly primary for today, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly (House of Representatives), Alhaji Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, yesterday accused the Senator representing Kano South, Senator Kabiru Gaya, of being behind plans to assassinate him.

Sumaila said he narrowly escaped being murdered after a gang of armed political thugs allegedly sent by Senator Gaya attacked him at his constituency.

Sumaila, a former member of the House of Representatives, had indicated his interest and launched campaigns for the Kano South Senatorial seat currently occupied by Senator Kabiru Gaya, a former governor of the state.

Addressing journalists in Kano, the presidential aide disclosed that the alleged assassination plot was orchestrated by some political thugs led by Senator Gaya’s campaign director and former Sumaila local council chairman, while holding political meeting with stakeholders in his Sumaila constituency.

Narrating how he survived the attempt on his life, Sumaila explained that while the meeting was in progress, he noticed strange and unfriendly faces of youths with dangerous weapons and quickly drew the attention of the security agent, who quickly arrested them.

He said: “They were all strangers, because I know almost all the 3,000 party members of my Sumaila ward.

The former local government Chairman, Abdulhamid Idris Rimi, but now a campaign director of Senator Kabiru Gaya, led them into the venue of our meeting. We were surprised, because they are not from our constituency.

“When they entered the hall, Abdulhamid, who led them, approached me at the front seat and asked me of electoral materials, while the rest were equally approaching me.

Suddenly, I noticed there was trouble. Immediately, I called the police around me and the hoodlums were arrested.

“Some of them escaped and two were arrested along with Abdulhamid and the dangerous weapon. They confessed there and then that they were sent by the Senator to eliminate me.”

The presidential aide who insisted the thugs were purposely deployed to terminate his life, said Senator Gaya was afraid of his massive support base and imminent defeat, as such believed that the only means to survive the shame of losing the Senatorial seat was to eliminate him.

He said a similar case had been reported to the police in Kano when supporters of the Senator invaded his country home and destroyed property and campaign structures, regretting that nothing was done, just as he called on the Presidency, the Nigerian Army and all security agencies to come to his rescue.

When contacted, Senator Gaya told The Guardian on telephone that he was not ready to join issues with the presidential aide, even as he denied the allegations as baseless and unfounded.