The Presidency has revealed why foreigners attended the presidential rally of President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano State.
Mr Buhari while campaigning in the state on Thursday received two state governors from Niger Republic who came to identify with him despite his administration warning foreign countries against interfering in the internal affairs of the country as the forthcoming general election draws near.
Critics condemned the action as being hypocritical while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), called for the disqualification of the president from the presidential race.
Defending the action of the foreigners, the presidency said the opposition parties were just been jealous of the Buhari phenomenon which it said was sweeping across the African continent.
It said the visitors came to learn and understand how the president does his own politics.
“What we want the PDP to know, 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,” Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Saturday.
“That’s why people from the African continent…when they had the presidential election in Ghana, there was a candidate who branded himself the Buhari of Ghana.
“When they had the presidential election in Chad last year, there was a Buhari of Chad. They had printed posters with their pictures with Buhari side by side.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ruling party has said there was no crime committed in allowing foreigners participate in political campaigns in the country.
