CITIZENS COMPASS — Security operatives on Monday, October 16, 2023, mounted the office complex of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akure, Ondo State as some youths from the party, protested against the continued absence of the State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu from office.
The armed security personnel, who included policemen and operatives of the Department of State Services, parked their vehicles at the entrance of the PDP secretariat in the morning.
It was gathered that as a result of the situation, workers in the PDP secretariat were unable to enter their offices and stood outside for several hours.
The youths were eventually permitted to hold the protest on the premises of the secretariat.
Speaking, a PDP youth leader, Mr Akintayo Oluyi, said, “There is no gainsaying that in the last nine months, there has been a vacuum of leadership in Ondo State. Sometime in April, the people of the state agitated and that led us to have an acting governor.
“We were also aware of what transpired when Aiyedatiwa was acting in his stead. That isn’t even our problem because it’s an internal issue. But since 32 days ago when the governor arrived from his three-month medical leave in Germany, we’ve not seen the governor anywhere near the state.
“Yet, we’ve been hearing of Akeredolu passing bills into law by proxy and this is what informed the protest by the youth wing of the PDP in the state. We can no longer continue like this. We are the voice of the people, we are the voice of the masses.
“We are saying, Mr Governor must resume duty; he can no longer govern us by proxy; we can no longer be hearing that he’s one thing or the other when we’ve not sighted him. We know the governor we have, if he’s truly fit, we would have sighted him in the streets of Akure.
The youth wing of the PDP is giving Mr Governor the next 24 hours to address the people of Ondo State and we are giving him three days ultimatum to resume to the state. We’ve been seeing a series of responses from the APC that the governor will join us in days’ time. We are giving him three days ultimatum to address us and if he fails, we. as the opposition party, will occupy the streets of Akure and we will continue to demand that he either resume or resign.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said the deployment of policemen to the PDP secretariat was to prevent a a breakdown of law and order.
Odunlami said, “On Friday, we got a kind of unanimous letter stating that some people wanted to protest and the letter came in without a letterhead, no details of those that wanted to embark on the protest and for the safety of the party involved we just felt to mobilise our men to maintain law and orders in case of anything.”
But a group, Ondo Masses Solidarity Movement, accused the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of being behind the planned protest by the PDP youths.
In a statement by its Coordinator, Chief Ogunyemi Jeremiah, the group alleged that Aiyedatiwa had been reaching out to opposition parties and youths to occupy the street of Akure and protest against the governor.
The statement read, “We have it on good authority that the deputy governor instigated the protest and had already sponsored some youths to join the protest. A meeting was held at a hotel in Alagabaka, Akure where money was shared among the youths.
“Part of the plans, which was foiled by the security agencies, was that the protesters would set a petrol-filled tanker on fire within the state capital. They had also planned to raze down the House of Assembly complex. The planned protest was never in the interest of the masses. The masses are receiving their palliative and also enjoying their thriving sales due to the regular payment of salaries and leave bonuses in the state.”
Efforts to get Aiyedatiwa’s reaction were unsuccessful as his telephone line indicated it was not reachable while a text message sent to him had not been replied as at the time of filing this report.
In a statement on Monday, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, State Publicity Secretary, PDP, Ondo State said, “As early as 6.00 am this morning, a combined team of Police, SSS men and Anti-cultists Unit of the Nigerian Police stormed the Ondo State PDP Secretariat with Amourned Personnel Carrier (APC), over eight Hilux vehicles and about 400 men in all to seal off the secretariat in order to stall a PDP Youth Wing protest to demand the whereabouts of Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu who has not been seen in Ondo State since April this year.
“Even staff of the secretariat were denied access to their offices. The stern-looking officers offered no explanations.
“However, it took frantic efforts of members of the PDP State Working Committee before the secretariat gate was opened amidst serious tension and confrontation.
PhotoJournalists were threatened to stop recording anything lest, their cameras were smashed. But as the PDP youths forced themselves into the secretariat, proceeding on a street protest would amount to daring the trigger-happy police to do their worst.
“As much as the officers tried to stop the protest, they failed because the youths displayed their banners and placards to Journalists who gained entrance into the secretariat.
“As we speak, the policemen are still in front of the secretariat with their vehicles. I want to use this medium to appeal to the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police and the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command to immediately withdraw their men from our secretariat. We cannot be intimidated by security agents who are paid with taxpayers’ money. We have the right to demand for the whereabouts of the governor if he is missing in action.
“Early yesterday, the APC spokesman in a fear-laden statement accused the PDP of instigating crisis in Ondo State. We make bold to say that the presence of the security men is not unconnected with the APC’s fear of its shadow and their failure to get Akeredolu to come to Ondo State for the assignment he was elected for.
“Let it be known to all, that we shall continue to demand for Akeredolu to resume or resign until either is achieved.”
