Buhari’s campaign in Kano: Kannywood artistes thrill crowd, business premises shut

Prominent Kannywood artistes, on Thursday, thrilled the crowd at President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election campaign rally held at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.
Some of the famous Kannywood singers such as Ado Gwanja, Ibrahim Yala and Rarara Kahutu performed at the event to the joy of APC supporters.
Comedians such as Baba Ari and Rabiu Daushe, also performed as they supported the singers by dancing through the crowd and making people laugh.
Major stars such as Ali Nuhu, Sadik Sani, Zainab Booth, Rukayya Dawayya, also attracted spectators at another side of the Arena.
The crowd cheered the artistes while some danced to the tunes and hailed the APC and its candidates.
The artistes had earlier in the week conducted a mass rally in the city to mobilise supporters ahead of the rally.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, commended Buhari for initiating programmes aimed at alleviating poverty in the country.
Sanusi gave the commendation when Buhari visited him while on a campaign tour on Thursday in Kano.
“Programmes like the N-power and TraderMoni where small traders across the country are given N5000 each, can go a long way in boosting the country’s economy,” he said.
The Emir also called on the president to initiate more of such programmes so as to ensure the well being of all citizens.

“If the Federal Government can increase the number of beneficiaries of the programmes to 20 million, it will contribute towards poverty reduction in the country.
“It will also bring to an end street begging,” Sanusi said.
He also commended the federal government for introducing the school feeding programme, saying that the gesture had encouraged more parents to enroll their children in school.
According to Sanusi, the Emirate Council will continue to remind government on issues relating to well being of Nigerians whenever the need arises.
Earlier, Buhari said his visit was not only to seek for re-election, but to also commend the people for their tireless support to his administration.
“I am in Kano not to tell the people what we are doing to develop the country, but to remind them on the need to perform their civic responsibilities by voting right candidates.
“This is because I believe they are aware of what we are doing,” he said.
He commended the people for welcoming him all the way from the airport to the Emir’s palace.
Buhari assured them of his determination towards moving the country to the next level.
Buhari landed at exactly 12: 55 pm at the 303 Nigerian Air Force Flying Training School Base, Kano.‎
He was received by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State, Minister of Aviation and Director General, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi‎.
Others are Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazau, Minister of State Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris.
Others include Kano business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Governors of Zinder and Maradi in Niger Republic and members of State and National Assemblies.‎
‎Thousands of APC supporters singing solidarity songs and displaying various party insignia had thronged the streets of Kano since morning to welcome Buhari to the ancient city.
Petty traders such as food vendors and sachet water sellers made brisk business.
Food vendors including sellers of other local delicacies also made huge sales at the venue of the rally.
Other traders having a field day at the rally included sellers of APC logo stickers, small flags and other souvenirs.
A sachet water seller, Sada Abdullahi, said that he had sold 20 bags containing 20 pieces of the commodity each, at the venue of the event as at noon.
“I made a lot of sales today as I sold no fewer than 20 bags of commodity at N150 each because it is one of the best quality sachet water around,” he said.
Similarly, a Kolanuts and Cigarettes seller, Malam Ibrahim Sale, said he made no less than N3,000 from sales of the commodities within three hours, thanking Allah for making the event a reality.
The stadium was filled to capacity with hundreds of thousands of APC supporters.
Businesses in the ancient city also remained shut.
Some traders said they needed to shut down for security reasons, while some said they closed their shops to enable them attend the function.
Malam Usman Bala, a shop owner at the famous Kwari textiles market, said many shops remained shut because the venue of the presidential rally was a stone-throw from the market.
“In order to safeguard our goods, many of us did not even go to the market while some opened for few hours in the morning, and then, shut down,” Bala said.
Similarly, petty traders around Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital and Rimi Market also said that they closed their shops due to closeness to the venue of the event.
However, Yahuza Aminu said they had a tough time in the previous week when a political party held a rally at the same venue.
“Young men wielding weapons seized cell phones and money from traders. So, everyone is trying to avoid the re-occurrence of such incidence today,” Aminu said.