All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, retired General Muhammadu Buhari, rejected riding in two armoured vehicles during his campaign in Bauchi State at the weekend.
The jeeps were reportedly offered to Buhari by Governor Isa Yuguda.
The drama unfolded Saturday evening at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi, when the Buhari presidential campaign team visited the state.
The chartered aircraft conveying Buhari landed at the airport around 5:30 pm to a mammoth crowd which had waited since morning.
Bauchi State Government House officials had stationed the two bullet-proof vehicles at the airport, waiting for Buhari’s arrival from Ilorin, Kwara State.
But campaign protocol officers said Buhari won’t ride in the vehicles. Instead, he rode in an armoured Coaster bus provided by the APC presidential campaign office. The decision didn’t go down well with the state protocol officials who didn’t hide their anger when another part of Buhari’s entourage whose plane landed just as Buhari’s motorcade was leaving the airport approached them.
The team arrived Bauchi in four chartered planes. The fourth landed a little late and almost missed the vehicles scheduled for their local trip.
When some members of the delegation aboard the fourth plane approached the two vehicles which were at the rear of the convoy, the angry protocol officials refused to allow them board them.
Three members of the delegation said they were with presidential candidate and had just landed, but one of the government protocol officials angrily opened his door and said: “The jeeps are armoured cars brought here by the governor for Buhari’s use. But he refused to use them.”
The protocol officials ignored explanations by the delegation which later found an alternative means of getting to the rally venue.
A protocol official with the Buhari campaign team told Daily Trust that the vehicles were rejected because a bus with open roof was provided by the campaign organisation. At the rally, Buhari urged his supporters to vote for APC candidates in all the elections.
