The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of renting the mammoth crowds that has been gracing his presidential rallies.
Yerima Shettima, President of the youth group, made the allegation in a chat with Daily Post on the forthcoming presidential election slated for the 16th of this month.
Massive crowds yesterday graced the campaign rallies of Messrs Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) even though the events held at separate venues.
While the president was campaigning in Adamawa, the country home of the PDP flag-bearer, the former vice president popularly known as Atiku was at Katsina, the home of the president telling the people why he should be elected president.
Atiku is the major challenger of President Muhammadu Buhari who seeks a second term in office on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Mr Shettima said Mr Buhari uses state governors as proxy to rent the crowds tha has so far graced his campaign rallies.
He also said despite Buhari pulling massive crowds more than Atiku, the PDP candidate would defeat the president.
“Did you see the crowd in Katsina yesterday? Were those people paid to come out? Does Atiku have money to give to governors to pay those crowd? Now you compare to somebody who has so much money to share around to governors, can you compare? he asked.
“And at what point did we descend so low that elections are being determined by crowd? At what point did we descend that low. Okay, let’s go to the polls by February then let’s see.”
The youth leader also said Mr Buhari will be defeated at the poll because Nigerians were tired of the present political settings and have shown willingness to change leadership.
“Atiku is winning,” Shettima said adding that, “We are sure because we have worked enough and people are now wiser. In a free and fair election, the present leader will not be a match for Atiku.”