By Ajani Okanlawon
The Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), leading Nollywood actors and other supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan in Lagos on Monday morning led other protesters to storm the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, demanding the sacking of the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, before the March 28 elections.
Under the umbrella of Coalition of Concerned Nigerians (CCN), the group set out from the 7UP/Toll Gate end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway inwards Ikorodu road towards National Stadium chanting anti-Jega songs, giving reasons why Jega should be sacked.
The protesters were led by OPC National Coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams.
Other at the rally were notable Nollywood actors, Zach Orji, Paul Obazele , Femi Ogedengbe and Alex Osifo among others who were at the Jonathan Meets Nigeria Entertainment Practitioners parley held in Lagos on Sunday, March 15, 2015.
There was heavy traffic along Ikorodu Road as the protesters, who had the backing and protection of heavily armed policemen and some SURE-P beneficiaries clad in black, took over one part of the road thus grounding movement of other commuters.
Although the group claimed it was protesting against the INEC chairman, it soon became apparent that the march was against the All Progressives Congress (APC), which marched for its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos on Saturday, March 7, 2015.
The leaders of the protesters are known supporters of President Jonathan, and songs were sung in his praise as they marched towards the Surulere area of Lagos.
Campaign boards belonging to the APC were destroyed and people who had the party’s emblems on their vehicles were molested under the watchful eyes of policemen.
The OPC members wielded guns, cutlasses and pocket knives among other weapons, occupying one end of the busy highway while some members of the groups harassed some motorists and passers-by plying the road.
According to an eyewitness who has his office along Ikorodu road, “I saw from my office when these OPC thugs fired shots into the air to scare people. I thought at first that there was a fracas only for me to learn that they were OPC members on a protest march to the national stadium. Guess what? Three police vehicles provided them security!”
Adams later uploaded some pictures on Facebook with the message: “Today’s protest by Coalition of Concerned Nigerians that APC media dogs claimed was staged by thugs.”
Reacting, political commentator and social activist, Kayode Ogundamisi, wrote: “The Oodua People’s Congress I as Sec-Gen and Dr Beko Ransome Kuti as Treasurer associated with was strictly a SELF DETERMINATION group until Dr Fredrick Fasehun swallowed General Obasanjo’s ‘apple’ that led to the break up and factional crisis.
“History is repeating itself again in 2015. Goodluck Jonathan is ‘donating’ more apple into the OPC leadership and it is only a matter of time the followers would ask both leaders for a ‘just share’.
“I would just advice both Dr Fasehun and Gani Adams that whatever assignment they are carrying our for President Jonathan they should do so within the laws of the land. Today’s attack on innocent Citizens in Lagos and destruction of opposition party posters, beating up of members of the public with APC flags is uncalled for. We can not return to the dark days of lawlessness and brigandage.
“Dollars don’t last forever, but the Yoruba race will outlive all us.”
Many motorists and other Lagosians complained about how the protesters harassed them off the road. They also expressed fears at the sight of men and women brandishing guns and other dangerous item publicly in broad daylight.
