The All Progressives Congress APC in Oyo state has fingered Governor Seyi Makinde and the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party PDP as the brains behind the pockets of protest being witnessed in parts of Ibadan ostensibly to express dissatisfaction with the current scarcity of fuel and the redesigned naira notes nationwide.
Residents of Ibadan, capital of Oyo state, woke up on Wednesday to see assemblage of some youths in popular junctions such as Orita Challenge, Sango, Eleyele, Iwo Road, Ojoo, Agodi-Gate, Bodija-Oju’rin, Total Garden and Beere where they mounted road blocks while chanting anti Federal Government and APC songs.
While reacting to the development through a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC appealed for calm and patience among the citizenry warning that violent protests and unrest would not solve the problems as “fuel and naira scarcity are the handiwork of some unpatriotic elements who want to frustrate the smooth conduct of the general election as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“There are all indications that the pockets of protest being witnessed in some major parts of Ibadan were coordinated and sponsored by the PDP government of Oyo state with a view to frustrating the Presidential Rally of our great Party (APC) which was moved from Tuesday last week and rescheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) as it became imperative for us to act in the mood of the nation.
“Since it has been discovered that the scarcity situation were the brainchild of some anti-democratic forces, we have chosen not to play into their hands and we enjoin all well meaning citizens of the country to reject all actions capable of derailing the schedule of the general election. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the candidate to beat for the presidential candidate and reality does not go down well with certain influential personalities who are now hellbent on instigating violence for obvious reasons.
“In the case of Oyo state, they have found a willing tool in the hands the PDP governor and his party men who started with sponsoring of miscreants to vandalize campaign materials of all APC candidates, including those of Sen. Bola Tinubu and Sen. Kassim Shettima. Just last week, they brought out some misguided youth around UI-Agbowo community to carry out needless protests and they discontinued their activities immediately we announced the postponement of the event. Meanwhile, we are in possession of some unimpeachable facts regarding the identities of the real sponsors and coordinators of these violent protests and they all domicile around Agodi Government House.
“Today again which is the eve of the rescheduled Presidential Rally, we have started getting reports of coordinated protests all over the city of Ibadan. Ordinarily, we should all be involved in peaceful protests against the hardship foisted on the citizenry by the NNPC and CBN but a critical appraisal of the development got us convinced that civil unrest should not be encouraged. We need diplomacy and courage to free Nigeria from the shackles of domestic colonialists and this is what the like of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje and Sen. Teslim Folarin preach at this crucial time.
“Rather than seeing the current imbroglio as an opportunity to fester his penchant for populism and bad politicking by encouraging protest against the federal government, Gov. Makinde should join Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Gov. Yahaya Bello and Dr. Abdullah Ganduje of Kaduna, Kogi and Kano states respectively in fighting for the rights of the masses through legal means as being done at the Supreme Court at the moment. Oyo governor should also borrow a leaf from his Ogun state counterpart, Prince Dapo Abiodun, by instructing residents to await final decision of the court on the suit challenging the February 10, 23 deadline for the expiration of the old naira notes if indeed, he is pro-masses.” APC said.
