A team of armed police officers from Area ‘F’
Police Command on Thursday disrupted a world press conference organised by the ‘Free
Lagos Orange Movement’ to end the political dynasty of the national leader of
All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Just before the conference started at about 11:30
a.m. yesterday, the police officers arrived at the Airport Hotel Ikeja in six
patrol vehicles and one Black Maria van and blocked the entrance for two hours,
a situation that kept customers from coming into and going out of the hotel.
Also, the police officers blocked the gate that led
to the Oranmiyan Hall, the venue of the news conference, where a sizable number
of Tinubu’s critics had already gathered for the formal inauguration of the
movement, a resemblance of political campaign that foiled the re-election of
the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, in Kwara State.
The police action prevented the conveners of the
movement, including former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr.
Olisa Agbakoba; the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka
Odumakin, and spokesman of the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar Campaign Council, Mr. Segun
Sowunmi, among others, who claimed violated their right to freely associate
under the 1999 Constitution.
Apart from some conveners that were denied access
to the venue, other members of the movement, who came for the conference in
five BRT buses, were stranded at the main gate of the hotel, thereby causing
protracted traffic congestion on both sides of the Awolowo Road and stoking
stern reaction from the concerned citizens.
Amid the stand-off, scores of hoodlums, who were
allegedly acting on the directive of the senator representing Lagos West,
Senator Olamilekan Solomon, stormed the venue from Ikeja and asked the members
of the movement to leave the entrance of the hotel immediately, though they
refused to honour the directive of the hoodlums.
Their decision to remain at the main gate of the
hotel culminated in confrontation between the members of the movement and
scores of hoodlums, thus degenerating to free-for-all that forced the police
officers to fire teargas and gunshot to disperse the two aggrieved factions.
While the confrontation lasted at the main gate,
one of the conveners and a political rights activist, Mark Adebayo, alongside
leaders of the movement quickly addressed the news conference inside the Oranmiyan
Hall before it came to the knowledge of the police officers.
Just after Adebayo read the text of the news
conference address, some police officers intruded into the venue, directed
journalists and participants to leave, invited the political activist to the
Area ‘F’ Police Command and ended the question-and-answer section of the
conference.
Speaking at the press conference yesterday, Adebayo
decried the violence that characterised the presidential and National Assembly
elections in some parts of the state, especially Somolu Local Government Area
and Oshodi-Isolo Local Council Development Area.
He said the problem prevented many voters from
exercising their civic rights as they were intimidated by those he called
agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that the development was
not good for democracy as it threatened the emergence of the choices of the
people.
Adebayo said the movement was deeply concerned about
the control of the state resources by a group of people for several years,
saying it was time to free the state from what he called bondage and allow the
will of the people to prevail.
He asked Lagos residents “to challenge what he
called the political hegemony that had maltreated them and cornered their
resources. Are we so stupid and ignorant in Lagos to allow one man manipulate
and maltreat us this way? The clear answer is resounding No!
“So Lagosians, Enough is Enough! Lagosians arise and
shine. Liberate yourselves from the iron grip of one man. Stand up and free
yourselves and your future from the captivity of a roguish system of power
succession that lacks basic respect for free choice of leadership.”
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