At least two people are reported dead after a stampede at a campaign rally by President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, APC.

The rally held at the Jolly Nyame Stadium in Taraba State.

The presidency has already blamed overcrowding for the deaths but did not confirm the casualty figure.

A statement by President Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, noted that Mr Buhari “expressed profound sadness over of loss of lives at the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Rally in Jalingo, Taraba State on Thursday.”

Mr Buhari is seeking re-election in the presidential election scheduled to hold on February 16. He has 72 opponents including a former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

Read Mr Shehu’s full statement below on the Taraba tragedy below.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed profound sadness over of loss of lives at the All Progressives Congress, APC Presidential Campaign Rally in Jalingo, Taraba State on Thursday.

Reacting to reports of the tragic death of some APC supporters due to the overwhelming crowd at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, the President said:

“I always feel very sad and distressed when ordinary Nigerians who love me and our party because of what we stand for and have done, make personal sacrifices by taking the pains to show their support, end their lives tragically.”

While appreciating the massive support he is receiving all over the country, President Buhari calls for restraint on the part of his supporters to avoid such tragic incidences, and improved crowd management at rally grounds.

“I want them to stay alive and witness the dividends of purposeful governance that the APC administration will unfold when they renew our mandate,” he said.

Commiserating with the families of the victims and the APC family, the President prays Almighty God to grant peace to the souls of the departed and speedy recovery to the injured.