The crises rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress may be taking a new dimension as protesters claiming to be supporters of President Buhari’s re-election bid, besieged the Blantyre Street national headquarters of the ruling APC demanding the sack of its national chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun.
This was coming on the heels of the reconciliatory meeting led by the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has been mandated by the president to coordinate the reconciliation of aggrieved members across the country. Tinubu began his difficult assignment by meeting with the national chairman and other members of the National Working Commitee only yesterday with the parley described as “fruitful and encouraging”.
The protesters under the aegis of “Buhari for Victory 2019 Initiative” were led by Mr Toyin Raheem, an APC founding member and chairman aspirant for Orile Agege Local Coincil Development Area. Numbering over a hundred, the protesters displayed placards with various anti-Oyegun slogans like
“Oyegun is a threat to Buhari’s reelection”, “Oyegun Must Resign Now”, “Oyegun Is Dividing APC” among others.
The protesters however were not able to gain entrance into the premises of the party secretariat as they were prevented from accessing the main office building by a detachment of police and other security personnel guarding the Secretariat. The police officer in charge at the Party’s Secretariat threatened to arrest the protesters claiming it was an illegal protest because the organisers ought to have obtained police permit from the FCT Police Command before embarking on the protest.
It could not be ascertained as at press time whether Chief Oyegun was around or not. But the protests and picketing lasted for a few hours with occasional anxious moments.
With this development, Political watchers say the reconciliation committee of Asiwaju Tinubu has a herculean task ahead as the embattled national chairman may find himself battling for his position if the threat of the protesters to embark on a sustained series of protests across the six geopolitical zones as stated is anything to believe.
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