TheCable

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, has defended the attendance of some governors from Niger Republic to President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign rally in Kano state.

In a statement on Saturday, it also chided the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for demanding Buhari’s withdrawal from the elections over the incident.

Two governors from the country — Issa Moussa of Zinder and Zakiri Umar of Maradi — were part of those who received the president in Kano ahead of the rally.

The visit had triggered criticisms from Nigerians who alleged foreign interference in the electoral process.

Uche Secondus, PDP national chairman, said Buhari should be disqualified from the presidential race, alleging that the governors “came with monies and mercenaries to influence elections in Nigeria.”

But Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said the development shows “there is a Buhari phenomenon that is sweeping across the entire continent.”

“Candidates for national leadership in each country are doing whatever they can to understand the Buhari phenomenon, to copy it, to institute it,” he said.

“So, Nigeria has been gifted with an honest leader, a man endowed with rare qualities and people are trying to copy that.

“So, if our neighbours from Niger come to witness how President Buhari is doing his politics, what is the problem with that? Is there any law that is broken? Or did they see anyone that will buy vote or collect PVC?

“So, it’s jealousy. They are panicky and jealous. It should worry PDP that nobody is coming across the border to understudy PDP.”

INEC told TheCable on Saturday that the presence of the governors does not violate any law.