Posted by From Iyabo Lawal (Ibadan) and Clifford Ndujihe (Lagos) on
THE planned rally by a coalition of pro-democracy groups to protest the controversial impeachment of the Oyo State Governor, Alhaji Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, was yesterday aborted by a team of anti-riot policemen and hoodlums suspected to be loyalists of grassroots politician, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.
* Soyinka absent at rally
Alao-Akala swears in deputy
THE planned rally by a coalition of pro-democracy groups to protest the controversial impeachment of the Oyo State Governor, Alhaji Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, was yesterday aborted by a team of anti-riot policemen and hoodlums suspected to be loyalists of grassroots politician, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.
Also yesterday, the Personal Assistant to Adedibu, Alhaji Hazeem Gbolarumi, was sworn in as the state's new deputy governor.
A team of about 2,000 mobile policemen was deployed to stop the rally, which could, therefore, not go beyond the Agodi-Gate area of Ibadan, the state capital, where the activists had converged.
The activists, however, vowed that the protest would spread to other parts of the country, arguing that the crisis posed grave dangers to not just Oyo State, but Nigeria as a whole.
The hoodlums, who arrived in two buses, fired gunshots and threw cudgels to disperse the activists who had gathered at the entrance of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in the city in readiness for the protest.
As early as 8.00 a.m., the men of the Nigerian Police gathered at the entrance of NTA, blocking it with three police vans.
All entrances to Bashorun Ogunmola Street, where the NTA is located, were blocked by the mobile policemen. Two armoured personnel carriers were packed a few metres away at the ever-busy Agodi-Gate Bus Stop with the policemen chanting war songs.
Mr. Wale Okuniyi of the Coalition of Democratic Associations (CDA) led his group of protesters, chanting anti-government slogans. Okuniyi insisted that it was their right to protest the violation of the rule of law in the state.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Iwo Road area of the city, Mr. Akin Adeyemi, at various times, appealed to the protesters to peacefully disperse, saying that he did not wish to arrest any of them. But his pleas fell on deaf ears.
During this period, only the duo of Campaign for Democracy (CD) President, Mr. Moshood Erubami and the leader of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Mr. Abiodun Aremu, were on hand to lead the protest.
But in what appeared like a movie, hoodlums in two commercial buses arrived at the scene and pounced on the protesters. They shot sporadically into the air and threw bottles and cudgels at the people.
The group shot at the surging crowd who scampered for safety. Commuters and traders around the area abandoned their shops as policemen watched without interfering in the crisis.
After about 45 minutes, the hoodlums left the scene. But the protesters regrouped at the main junction of the Gate Bus Stop to hold the rally.
The UAD boss, while addressing reporters, said that the protest was the beginning of what pro-democracy groups in the country were going to do to ensure that justice is done to the people of Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
"That is the statement the UAD has come to declare here today because we are going to declare further action that is going to go beyond Ibadan," he stressed.
He continued: "We are talking of a national action against all kinds of criminality. This is a place where the late Obafemi Awolowo became the Premier of the Western Region. It has now become a place where undemocratic elements have taken control."
Aremu said that the democratic forces would paralyse not just Ibadan, but the entire state.
He said: "We want Nigerians to know that there must be a stop to lawlessness. If lawlessness had been condoned in the case of the impeached Rashidi Ladoja not swearing-in the chairman of a local government, we can not condone it if he has also been removed illegally."
Aremu continued: "The battle has started. Even when he (Ladoja) is reinstated, he must respect the rule of law. That is the point we are making and there is a link in all these with the Third Term agenda of Mr. President."
Although he was warned by the policemen not to address the crowd, Erubami was adamant, maintaining that the protest was aimed at fighting injustice in the land.
Erubami said: "I feel glad that all Nigerians were mobilised and they are here. Today, you have seen a dastardly act of our oppressors. They want to keep us down perpetually in penury and it is our responsibility not to listen to them. We are here to express the fact that we are free-born Nigerian citizen and that no power, individual or corporate or government can subdue the interest of the people."
The CD boss told reporters that what happened in Ibadan yesterday was a movement towards the realisation of the objectives of the Nigerian people.
But he was interjected midway by the policemen who swung on the protesters and dispersed the reporters at the scene. While strolling down to join a car to take him away, Erubami was given a hot chase by armed policemen through the crowd at Agodi. He was immediately arrested.
The CD boss was dragged by the policemen to meet the leader of the team, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Ezeife Dikwa.
Dikwa calmed Erubami down as the CD boss kept shouting: "They beat me. The policemen beat me. You asked me to leave and I was leaving. Why did you have to beat me? This is a lawful protest and we are very peaceful, we co-operated with you. What do you want from us again?"
Dikwa told Erubami that everything would be all right, before the CD boss was taken away in a waiting Volkswagen Santana car marked OYO AM 53 LUY.
As soon as Erubami was taken away, Aremu took up the baton and continued addressing the crowd. But the policemen were adamant as they insisted that the protesters must leave.
The protesters were prevented from moving about the city by the battle-ready policemen who had been drafted to strategic places in the metropolis to maintain peace.
Apart from the Gate area, where their gathering was disrupted, the protesters did not go round the metropolis. The residents went about their normal duties.
Contrary to expectations, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, was absent at the rally. When contacted, the literary icon said he was not personally involved in the march.
While admitting that his group, the Citizens Forum, was part of the pro-democracy organisations, Soyinka said he never signified his intention to personally lead the protest.
Things went smoothly in the capital city as residents went about their normal duties. Despite a directive to the members of the state transport union to withdraw their vehicles from the roads, human and vehicular movements went on unhindered while civil servants and market women reported at their work places.
However, schools were not opened as students stayed at home, although the usual hustle and bustle continued around the town.
At the secretariat end of the city, activities went on in full as the group of 18 lawmakers arrived at the Assembly Chambers to deliberate on state matters.
The acting Speaker, Taiwo Oluyemi, declared that all the proceedings of their colleagues who are loyal to Ladoja remained illegal. A committee was later set up to probe the activities of the seven suspended lawmakers from the Ladoja group. The Majority Leader of the House, Abiola Ayorinde, read the report of the House Committee set up to review the nomination of Gbolarumi as the deputy governor.
While presenting the report to the 18-member House, Ayorinde said that the committee was able to confirm that Gbolarumi had a West African School Certificate (WASC) and a Higher School Certificate (HSC).
Muftau Ogunremi, the Chief Whip, then moved the motion for the adoption of the committee report and was seconded by Moruf Atilola from Oyo East and West.
Oyewale Akinrinade from Akinyele Constituency who noted that the qualification of the governor is the same as the deputy also said, that having attained the 35 years stipulated by the constitution and being a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gbolarumi was qualified for the post.
The Acting Speaker then directed the acting Chief Judge to swear in the new deputy governor. As soon as the ratification was perfected by the legislators, the crowd who had gathered in large numbers proceeded to the governor's office for the swearing in ceremony.
But when the crowd became uncontrollable, the venue was shifted to the House of Chiefs. Although the swearing in was fixed for 2.00 p.m., the programme did not start until 3.30 p.m. when Chief Adedibu arrived at the scene, accompanied by his wife, Bosede and Christopher Alao-Akala, who has since assumed the executive position of the state as governor.
Party chieftains and the 33 council chairmen, as well as the group of 18 lawmakers, had all taken their seats. And soon as Adedibu arrived, the crowd comprising mostly women went into a frenzy and started singing: "Winner oh oh oh, winner, Adedibu you don win o winner, patapata you go win for ever, winner."
Gbolarumi, who was clad in a white lace, went round shaking hands with the legislators and the chairmen before taking his seat.
At exactly 3.40 p.m., he marched forward to take the oath administered on him by Alao-Akala with a pledge to discharge his duties according to the constitution.
Gbolarumi also promised to serve the people with all his might while assuring that he would not allow his personal interest to override that of the populace.
Alao-Akala, who embraced his deputy, said with Gbolarunmi, he was poised to bring good governance to the state. He urged the people to co-operate with his administration.
Adedibu, who was also clad in white guinea brocade, was full of joy as he acknowledged cheers from the crowd.
But the Coalition for Democracy and Rule of Law (CODER) has demanded the release of Erubami and other activists who were arrested in Ibadan yesterday.
CODER restated its demand for the resignation of Alao-Akala and demanded that Adedibu and his supporters be arrested and prosecuted "for causing the breakdown of law and order in Oyo State."
In a statement titled: "Akala Must Go Now. Adedibu Must Respect the People," by Okunniyi and Ayodele Adewale (Mobilisation Officer), the coalition described the protest as a success.
It added that the rally was first in the series of "protest mass actions planned against the unashamed violation of the Nigerian Constitution and due process in Oyo State by the Alao-Akala/Adedibu conspirators."
Thanking the Oyo citizenry for their support and solidarity "in registering disapproval over the current state of anarchy in Oyo State i.e. the gangsterist imposition of Mr. Alao-Akala as Governor over the Oyo State people," it decried the police harassment of the protesters.
"It is also unfortunate that the Nigerian Police had to brutalise protesters at a peaceful rally at Gate and Bodija areas after which they abducted the interim chairman of the Coalition, Comrade Mashood Erubami. CODER wishes to demand the immediate release of all those arrested during the peaceful rallies and demonstrations."
The coalition also urged the police to apologise for the action. "As a matter of responsibility, the Nigerian Police should tender an unreserved apology to the Oyo State people and Nigerians in general for the reckless obstruction of the constitutional right of the people to peacefully protest injustice."
Reviewing the protest march, the coalition among others demanded:
Immediate reinstatement of Ladoja by the Federal Government;
immediate vacation of the Governor's office by Alao-Akala and all other usurpers in Oyo State;
immediate release of Erubami and all other peaceful protesters that were arrested;
An unreserved apology by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero and the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Alao-Akala for working against the rule of law and the peoples' mandate and for brutalising and intimidating peaceful protesters; and
immediate respect of due process in the resolution of the political crisis in Oyo State.