Presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, allegedly chased journalists out of the Plateau State Secretariat of the party during his consultation with the State leadership and delegates on Monday.
Atiku, who is reportedly the first aspirant to bar journalists from the PDP hall even though some of his co-contenders have been visiting the State in the past few weeks, emphatically told the newsmen he did not want them in the hall.
According to a Vanguard report, the former Vice President had arrived at the Plateau State PDP Secretariat at about 2:19 pm, but as he met journalists from the print and broadcast media waiting in the hall, he repeatedly ordered them out saying: “I have nothing to do with journalists. I’m here to see delegates.”
ALSO READ: 2023: 9 presidential candidates ready to endorse Lawan — Kalu
The order prompted his aides and security details to go on a rampage, chasing out journalists, causing a stampede, and as a result, damaging gadgets including phones as well as a tripod and camera belonging to Channels TV.
The officials and delegates who could not help the fleeing journalists were disappointed at such behaviour from the former Vice-President who had been in the State in 2019 and never displayed such anger at journalists who were there on official duty.
Plateau State has about 85 national delegates but with the public outburst, it is not yet known if they would want to support his aspiration.
