Atiku Abubakar Honours Victims Of Kano Explosion

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on
Sunday announced that he has called off a
celebration organised to celebrate his 68th
birthday in honour of the victims of the bomb
explosions that rocked Kano city on Friday.
No fewer than 100 people were reported to have
died and over 200 injured in the bomb explosions
that occurred at the Central Mosque in Kano on
Friday, 28, November, 2014.
According to Premium Times report, Atiku, who
clocked 68 years last Tuesday, and his friends and
associates had organised a birthday celebration in
honour of the presidential aspirant of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) at the THISDAY dome
in Abuja on Saturday.
It was however diclosed that Atiku told his
associates that he was in no mood for any
celebration with the triple blast at the Central
Mosque in Kano.
"Because invitations have already been sent and
guests have travelled from far and near, it was not
possible to issue an outright cancellation," said Paul
Ibe, an official in the former vice president's media
office.
Ibe also informed that Atiku was actually a guest at
the event, because it was organized by his friends
and associate who invited him like any other guest.
" His Excellency Atiku Abubakar arrived at about
8pm. He came into Abuja from Akure and he told
the guests that he hardly ever celebrate his
birthdays because they are always days of reflection
for him.
"He however said he agreed to the celebration this
year because his wife was called to the bar.
"However, as soon as he arrived and after the
national anthem, he called for a minute of silence
and also called on a Muslim cleric to offer prayers,
followed by the Christian prayer by former Ekiti
state governor, Segun Oni, for the repose of the
victims of yesterday's attack in Kano as well as
similar attacks in Kontagora, Potiskum Mubi and
Maiduguri in recent times," he said.
Ibe also quoted Atiku as telling the guests that
"these are not the times for celebrations".He said Atiku called on all the guests to be steadfast
in prayers for the return of total peace to Nigeria.
He added that the APC presidential aspirant then
left the venue immediately after the prayers and his
short remarks.
Mr. Ibe said the celebration was planned to be "full
blown" before Atiku called it off.
Some of the guests at the venue of the celebration
included the National Chairman of the APC, John
Oyegun, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Senate Minority
Leader, George Akume, and business mogul, Kekere
Ekun.
In a related development, President Goodluck
Jonathan was reported to have left a function he was
scheduled to attend at the Eko Hotels in Lagos on
Friday because of the bomb explosion that rocked
the Central mosque in Kano.
It would be recalled that Atiku had criticized the
Kano bomb blasts via a statement he released
immediately the incident happened on Friday.
He said he was destroyed impersonally by the
frequency and savagery of insurgents attacks on
innocent people, adding that this constant violence
succeed nothing.

Posted By David Aniemeka