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You're a usurper, Tinubu blasts Akala

Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday described attempts by his Oyo State counterpart, Adebayo Alao-Akala to drag him into the crisis in Oyo State over his consistent support for the rule of law and constitutional democracy as irresponsible. He also described the governor as a shameless usurper.

* You're a usurper, Tinubu blasts Akala

Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday described attempts by his Oyo State counterpart, Adebayo Alao-Akala to drag him into the crisis in Oyo State over his consistent support for the rule of law and constitutional democracy as irresponsible. He also described the governor as a shameless usurper.

While reacting to an allegation by the Alao-Akala administration that a man suspected to be a hoodlum who was caught on Monday alleged that Governor Tinubu asked him to come to Ibadan to cause crisis, Tinubu described the attempt as a fraudulent, fake and unintelligent plot to rope him into the crisis of illegitimacy of the Akala administration.

His words: "this wicked attempt to drag my name into the crisis of the political crisis of Oyo State, a crisis engineered, fomented and promoted by the Alao-Akala administration is objectionable and I hereby reject this allegation totally.

"To further demonstrate my consistent support and advocacy for the rule of law and constitutional democracy, I call on the Nigeria Police in Oyo State to ensure the speedy prosecution of the alleged blackmailer and ensure that he is tried and jailed by court of competent jurisdiction. My administration shall ensure a watching brief of this case. Any attempt to sweep it under the carpet by Alao-Akala and his drowning cabinet shall be resisted.

"I call on the Nigerian press, the guardian of the soul of our democracy, to monitor this case closely and ensure that justice is not only done but is seen to have been done. It is the height of crass irresponsibility for an administration that claims to believe in the rule of law to seek to flout the orders and pronouncements of the Court of Appeal on the facile excuse that a person's name was not mentioned in the judgment.

"The Ibadan people have played historic roles in the history of the Yoruba people. They are cultured men and women. I believe the good people of Oyo State can see through the desperation of a man who is heading towards the rubbish heap of history. They know that Asiwaju Tinubu will never sponsor any hoodlum to cause trouble in Ibadan.

"The Inspector General of Police has given the authentic governor the regular security details that befits his office and despite the attempt to delay the implementation of the judgment, it is the belief of all democrats that, sooner than later, the decisions of the court shall be upheld," Tinubu said.
The Lagos governor warned that he would resist any attempt to limit his right to exercise his fundamental freedoms.

"As a citizen, I am free to move anywhere without interference. I shall be ready to protect, promote and propagate my rights to move freely in my country," Tinubu stated, while he called on Alao-Akala to live up to the obligations of the high office he occupies.

Tinubu further said that the only honourable exit open to Alao-Akala is to obey the decision of the Court. "There is no need to resort to thuggery and hooliganism. Simply pack your bag and baggage and go home!", the Lagos governor advised.

Also speaking with aviation correspondents at the Lagos airport, on his way to Sokoto on Tuesday, Tinubu described Alao-Akala as a usurper who does not deserve any respect.

According to him, "I think the allegation from the usurper, Akala is unfounded. He's looking for all sorts of avenues to pervert the cause of justice. He's looking for excuses. What is my business in Oyo State? I'm a Yoruba man from the South West and I'm a citizen of this country. So I have the right to move about freely and I also have the right to comment as a political leader in the interest of this country. Any honourable democrat must take the rule of law very seriously. You know my position on that. I've been consistent and I pray never to be in the position of Akala. If at all I find myself in that position, I'll trail the path of honour, respect the court judgment and set a good example. I've congratulated the court for our democratic repositioning and so must not be misconstrued as fuelling problem in Oyo State. Which fuel? Is it aviation fuel, kerosene or petrol? He cannot stop me from commenting on the impeachment which a court of competent jurisdiction has declared as illegal."

While boasting that no one could harass him even in the streets of Ibadan, Tinubu said such people would be arrested, paraded properly, tried fairly and sentenced accordingly.

Asked whether he was endorsing anyone for the 2007 governorship elections in Lagos, he said it was a normal practice everywhere in the world for people to get endorsement before vying for any position, but stressed that it is important for aspirants to sell themselves to the electorate who have the final decision to make on their fate.

In a related development, the residents of Popoyemoja, a densely populated area in the heart of Ibadan on Tuesday counted their losses following the mayhem unleashed by hoodlums in the city.
Former governor of the state, Alhaji Lamidi Adesina, almost broke into tears on Tuesday when he saw the sorry state of his former campaign office, located in the area, which was vandalised by the invading thugs.

Aggrieved residents of Popoyemoja recalled how the hoodlums invaded their area, looted their shops, broke into their rooms, stole money, handsets and even raped some girls. The invasion, they stated, occurred between the hours of 10am and 6pm, without any intervention by the police.

One of the victims, 81-year-old Alfa Sheu Akeusekisa Folorunso, the Eketa Imam of Ibadanland, could not hold back tears following his nasty ordeal in the hands of the hoodlums. The windows of his one-storey building were vandalised. The old man was forced to cough out N5,000 by the hoodlums.
"I am not a politician and I don't pray to be one till I will met my creator. All of them (politicians) are my children, so which type of politics will I play? I was inside my house here praying when they came. They vandalised my building. They broke into my room and attempted to machete me.

"I don't know my offence and they did not tell me what I did wrong. All my money was forcefully taken from me. It was N5,000. I could not understand their motives. it was a terrible experience. The Chief Imam of Ibadaland has come here to see the extent of damage to my house. He too could not but weep for me.

"My appeal is to the Federal Government is to curb this mayhem. The Federal Government is capable of doing it. They should call them to order. They should look at all possible avenues to stop the excesses because this set of people have no good plan for the people. They have no good plan for the masses of this state. Their motive is evil. Only the Federal Government can tame them", Pa Akeusekisa stated.
On his part, former Governor Adesina specifically called on the chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu to offer explanations on why he sent thugs to vandalize his campaign office when he was not a PDP member or part of the political imbroglio rocking the state.
Adesina also called on Alao-Akala to pay compensation to all the affected residents at Popoyemoja over their vandalised property.

"I am not here to speak so much, but I want reactions from Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu. He has to tell me why his thugs have come here to do this. I will like to hear the reactions of our Otunba Alao-Akala himself before I speak further because I am going to take the incident to a very high level.
"They cannot cow our people to submission in Ibadan here. Ibadan belongs to all of us. When I was governor for four years, I never sent thugs to anybody, I never allowed anybody to disturb the peace of the city.

"Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu is now Ekaarun Olubadan of Ibadanland. He wants to become Olubadan at a point in time, but is this the legacy he will like to inherit or he will like to bequeath to the people of Ibadan?".

The former governor debunked the statement of Akala on Monday that those that caused the mayhem were sent to the city by the Lagos State governor, saying nothing could be farther from the truth.
"I read the news this morning that Governor Tinubu caused it. Which Tinubu? I want to challenge anybody who said that to come out and we debate it. Tinubu never came here. You cannot trade your blame on Tinubu. They should accept the responsibility for what happened. To me here and on behalf of the residents of Popoyemoja, we are demanding compensation. This is because it is not a riot. If it is a riot, we can say anything can perish, but no person, no government can descend on people's personal property and destroy them".

Hapless traders, shop-owners and commercial motorcycle operators also bemoaned their fate while conducting Daily Sun round their damaged property.

Pa Salau Olokobi Adediran lamented the vandalization of his only source of income, a 10-seater Toyota Hiace bus, whose windscreen and window glasses were reduced to smithereens.
Also, one Mrs Olusola Afolabi narrated how a Volkswagen bus load of assorted drinks, parked in front of her shop and about to be offloaded was attacked. She said that the drinks were carted away by the thugs and the bus damaged beyond repair.

Another victim of the mayhem, Mrs Serifat Ayeyemi, said she lost 20 crates of soft drinks, 10 crates of eggs, bags of rice, malt drinks and N15,000 cash, taken from the drawer in her shop by the hoodlums.
Mr Soliu Oladejo, a commercial motorcycle rider disclosed that his Okada, which was bought for him on the eve of Ramadan Sallah festival, was among the nine motorcycles burnt by the hoodlums.
Another young man, Demola Omo Alhaja, has his two-room apartment completely overturned while his television set, radio and video player were carted away. His mattress foam was cut into pieces by the thugs.

When contacted on the allegation of the residents against the state government, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alao Akala, Mr Abiodun Ojo, dismissed the allegations, saying his boss was a lover of peace and would never do anything to affect others, especially notable citizens, like the former Governor Lam Adesina.