He had a grandiose plan to storm Katsina on Saturday for a rally in which he will formally declare his intention to run for governor on PDP’s platform.
As part of the programme for the public declaration, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Tsauri, alias Tata, was to be received by friends and supporters at the airport, where he would make brief remarks, then pay a courtesy call on the emir, drive round the streets, and cap it all with a rally at the Polo Ground where he would unveil his agenda.
But Tata apparently did not know that the police had other ideas.
At the end of the day, the rally could not hold because, the police said, it violated the election laws which stipulate that political campaigns cannot hold earlier than 90 days to the election. The governorship election is scheduled for February 28.
The trouble for Tata started even before the rally time. Few days earlier, he had booked for the Polo Ground. But after erecting the rostrum with the public address gadgets fitted, some unidentified persons went and razed the platform.
Yet, thousands of supporters thronged the airport to receive him on Saturday. But that was not without drama. A detachment of policemen came to the airport and fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Many supporters could not stand the tear gas and had to beat a retreat, though others remained behind.
Tata arrived around noon and was received by the remaining supporters. The initial apprehension caused by the police subsided on his arrival as more people came out to join his convoy that headed to the emir’s palace.
But the entourage met a brick wall on arrival at the palace in form of a barricade mounted by the police which refused it entry into the palace.
The convoy was compelled to make a detour, and headed back to the airport.
On the way, Tata pulled over and for a brief moment tried to make a remark but in the process the police, who had been trailing him, released more canisters of tear gas. People fled for safety.
The Katsina Police Command, when contacted, said it stopped the rally because Tata violated the Electoral Law by campaigning ahead of time.
Police spokesman Aminu Sadiq said though the aspirant applied for permission, the command told him that he should exercise patience as campaigns were yet to be allowed by INEC. He said the electoral law stipulates 90 days period to election for commencement of campaigns, as such Tata’s campaign event violated the law.
Earlier, Tata, who later addressed journalists as he made to depart from Katsina, said he was leaving everything to God and had no grudges against anyone.
He said though he was not allowed to talk to the people, they are already aware of his ambition and that what has happened will not affect the level of support he enjoys in the state.
“I did not start relating with the people today, they know me and I know them. The goodwill I have generated has taken some time to build and it is not something that can be frittered away by one light occurrence,” he said.
He accused the state government of being behind the move to deny him the opportunity to speak with the people.
But Katsina Information Commissioner Hussaini Garba Yarmama told Daily Trust the state government had no link with the incident.
“We are politicians and can’t be seen to be doing that to a political colleague. We can’t stop him from politicking,” he said.
“Just like I read on pages of newspapers and heard on radio the explanations given by the police, it’s convincing enough that our hands are not involved.”
Although the state government denied involvement, Tata’s ordeal is believed to be to be an extension of the reported political rivalry between Vice President Namadi Sambo and Governor Ibrahim Shema.
Shema is believed to be interested in the vice presidential ticket of the PDP for the 2015 elections, though he had said previously that he may return to his law practice after his tenure expires in May.
Whatever the case may be, Saturday’s declaration drama in Katsina is a harbinger of the political battle ahead in Katsina as the 2015 elections approach.
