Amosun, Oshiomhole in war of words after APC’s violent rally in Ogun
The rally, which saw the pelting of President Muhammadu Buhari with
objects as he made to raise the hand of the party’s governorship
candidate, Dapo Abiodun, did not end with the usual fanfare as the
dignitaries were shielded into their vehicles by their security
operatives.
It has war of words between the two factions of the All Progressives Congress – those of Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Adams Oshiomhole – after the violence that attended the rally of the All Progressives Congress in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday.
The rally, which saw the pelting of President Muhammadu Buhari with objects as he made to raise the hand of the party’s governorship candidate, Dapo Abiodun, did not end with the usual fanfare as the dignitaries were shielded into their vehicles by their security operatives.
Immediately after the rally, both factions issued press statements to suit their accounts of what transpired at the venue of the rally.
The statement by the Ogun State Government reads in full unedited:
Amosun: Ogun APC rally marred by protests
*Buhari asks voters to vote for candidates of their choice
*Oshiomhole, Amaechi, Aregbesola booed, stoned
*Asiwaju Bola Tinubu escapes through backdoor
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State boiled over today (Monday) when protests by party members marred the presidential campaign rally as party members booed the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola and Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign, Rotimi Amaechi. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the first time in the APC Presidential campaign, declined to make a speech at the event as he exited the venue through the backdoor as President Muhammadu Buhari made his speech.
President Buhari, as he did at the presidential rally of the APC in Owerri, Imo State, asked members of the party in the state to vote for any candidate of their choice apart from the presidential election.
Trouble started early in the rally shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari made a triumphant entry into the Moshood Abiola Stadium in company with the Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and other chieftains of the APC.
The Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi in his opening remarks remarked that the rally was an APC campaign, a note that was received with a resounding shout of “no”, ”no” from the stands.
The protests got louder when the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole came on board and disclosed that his mission was to introduce President Muhammadu Buhari and the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
The disclosure sent the stands into uproar and sachets of water were hauled in the direction of the party chairman where other party chieftains were seated.
Governor Amosun had to step in to appeal to the party members to be calm and not “disgrace” him before President Muhammadu Buhari. His repeated appeals fell on deaf ears and went into crescendo as the insistence of Comrade Oshiomhole to present the party flag to Prince Dapo Abiodun, further infuriated the party members.
This led to uncontrollable heckling from the stands, forcing security men to erect a barricade around the President and other party chieftains.
When it was time for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to speak, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State, stepped in and his pronouncement that there were unfaithful party members at the gathering fuelled further shouts of rejection from the stands and he had to be cut short to take his seat.
President Muhammadu Buhari, apparently noting the crisis at the rally, thanked party members for turning up in their numbers to receive him. He admonished them to vote for him in the February 16 presidential election.
However, on the much awaited presentation of the gubernatorial candidate of the party, the president advised members of the “to vote for any candidate of their choice”.
When Comrade Oshiomhole and some party members took Prince Dapo Abiodun to the president for him to present, the president instead announced, “for the other elections, let the people of Ogun State decide”.
For the faction put in place by Oshiomhole, the statement by its spokesman, Tunde Oladunjoye, read:
Buhari endorses Prince Dapo Abiodun as he gets APC governorship flag at Presidential Rally.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun was, moments ago, endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari at the just concluded Presidential Rally in Abeokuta.
The National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, also presented the symbolic party flag to Abiodun at the well attended rally, which was also witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, some former and serving state governors and party executives.
In his speech, President Buhari thanked the people of Ogun State for the support given to him in 2015. He reeled out his achievements in the areas of combating insurgency, fighting against corruption, and so on; just he promised to do more.
Against the violence that preceded his arrival at the venue, during which several members of the APC were injured and chased out of the stadium by thugs allegedly sponsored by the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, President Buhari warned that the choice of who to vote for “is a fundamental human right of the people and that there should be no problems about that at all”. He posited that people should be allowed to freely express their choice by voting their preferred candidate.
Ogun APC apologises
The Ogun State Caretaker Committee led by Chief Yemi Sanusi tenders unreserved apology to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari over the gross misconduct, indiscipline, disrespect and disorder perpetrated by agents of Governor Amosun today at the MKO Abiola Stadium.
Governor Amosun, using thugs and other urchins wrecked havoc on members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress for wearing yellow vests and caps of Dapo Abiodun.
The thugs at some points, were personally led by Governor Amosun, who was seen on a video that has since gone viral, removing A-Boards and other campaign materials of Dapo Abiodun from the venue. Also members of the Caretaker Committee were debarred from mounting the stage by Amosun’s thugs with obvious compromise of some security agents attached to the Governor.
The unruly acts, not only embarrassed the President and his entourage, but have actually embarrassed the whole people of Ogun State at home and abroad, who have since been expressing their disbelief and disdain.
While tendering this apology, we are happy that the Department of State Security Service and other agencies have details of the sad events, which we urge them to submit to the Presidency.
It has war of words between the two factions of the All Progressives Congress – those of Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Adams Oshiomhole – after the violence that attended the rally of the All Progressives Congress in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday.
The rally, which saw the pelting of President Muhammadu Buhari with objects as he made to raise the hand of the party’s governorship candidate, Dapo Abiodun, did not end with the usual fanfare as the dignitaries were shielded into their vehicles by their security operatives.
Immediately after the rally, both factions issued press statements to suit their accounts of what transpired at the venue of the rally.
The statement by the Ogun State Government reads in full unedited:
Amosun: Ogun APC rally marred by protests
*Buhari asks voters to vote for candidates of their choice
*Oshiomhole, Amaechi, Aregbesola booed, stoned
*Asiwaju Bola Tinubu escapes through backdoor
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State boiled over today (Monday) when protests by party members marred the presidential campaign rally as party members booed the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Raufu Aregbesola and Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign, Rotimi Amaechi. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the first time in the APC Presidential campaign, declined to make a speech at the event as he exited the venue through the backdoor as President Muhammadu Buhari made his speech.
President Buhari, as he did at the presidential rally of the APC in Owerri, Imo State, asked members of the party in the state to vote for any candidate of their choice apart from the presidential election.
Trouble started early in the rally shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari made a triumphant entry into the Moshood Abiola Stadium in company with the Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and other chieftains of the APC.
The Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi in his opening remarks remarked that the rally was an APC campaign, a note that was received with a resounding shout of “no”, ”no” from the stands.
The protests got louder when the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole came on board and disclosed that his mission was to introduce President Muhammadu Buhari and the gubernatorial candidate of the party.
The disclosure sent the stands into uproar and sachets of water were hauled in the direction of the party chairman where other party chieftains were seated.
Governor Amosun had to step in to appeal to the party members to be calm and not “disgrace” him before President Muhammadu Buhari. His repeated appeals fell on deaf ears and went into crescendo as the insistence of Comrade Oshiomhole to present the party flag to Prince Dapo Abiodun, further infuriated the party members.
This led to uncontrollable heckling from the stands, forcing security men to erect a barricade around the President and other party chieftains.
When it was time for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to speak, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State, stepped in and his pronouncement that there were unfaithful party members at the gathering fuelled further shouts of rejection from the stands and he had to be cut short to take his seat.
President Muhammadu Buhari, apparently noting the crisis at the rally, thanked party members for turning up in their numbers to receive him. He admonished them to vote for him in the February 16 presidential election.
However, on the much awaited presentation of the gubernatorial candidate of the party, the president advised members of the “to vote for any candidate of their choice”.
When Comrade Oshiomhole and some party members took Prince Dapo Abiodun to the president for him to present, the president instead announced, “for the other elections, let the people of Ogun State decide”.
For the faction put in place by Oshiomhole, the statement by its spokesman, Tunde Oladunjoye, read:
Buhari endorses Prince Dapo Abiodun as he gets APC governorship flag at Presidential Rally.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Party (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun was, moments ago, endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari at the just concluded Presidential Rally in Abeokuta.
The National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, also presented the symbolic party flag to Abiodun at the well attended rally, which was also witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, some former and serving state governors and party executives.
In his speech, President Buhari thanked the people of Ogun State for the support given to him in 2015. He reeled out his achievements in the areas of combating insurgency, fighting against corruption, and so on; just he promised to do more.
Against the violence that preceded his arrival at the venue, during which several members of the APC were injured and chased out of the stadium by thugs allegedly sponsored by the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, President Buhari warned that the choice of who to vote for “is a fundamental human right of the people and that there should be no problems about that at all”. He posited that people should be allowed to freely express their choice by voting their preferred candidate.
Ogun APC apologises
The Ogun State Caretaker Committee led by Chief Yemi Sanusi tenders unreserved apology to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari over the gross misconduct, indiscipline, disrespect and disorder perpetrated by agents of Governor Amosun today at the MKO Abiola Stadium.
Governor Amosun, using thugs and other urchins wrecked havoc on members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress for wearing yellow vests and caps of Dapo Abiodun.
The thugs at some points, were personally led by Governor Amosun, who was seen on a video that has since gone viral, removing A-Boards and other campaign materials of Dapo Abiodun from the venue. Also members of the Caretaker Committee were debarred from mounting the stage by Amosun’s thugs with obvious compromise of some security agents attached to the Governor.
The unruly acts, not only embarrassed the President and his entourage, but have actually embarrassed the whole people of Ogun State at home and abroad, who have since been expressing their disbelief and disdain.
While tendering this apology, we are happy that the Department of State Security Service and other agencies have details of the sad events, which we urge them to submit to the Presidency.
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