Mayhem in Ekiti as Police Disrupt Bamidele’s Rally

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PPRO: Lawmaker violated Electoral Act

Toba Suleiman and Shola Oyeyipo 

Pandemonium erupted yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, when a member of the House Representatives and a governorship aspirant in the state, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, narrowly escaped death  following the firing of tear gas canisters and live ammunition by some policemen from the state police command to disperse a crowd of supporters, who had gathered at the lawmaker’s formal declaration to contest the governorship election in the state.

The disruption of the rally organised by Bamidele, followed an early morning protest embarked upon by members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), which barricaded the road from Ajebandele in Ajilosun area up to Okeyinmi junction as early as 7a.m.

The police, it was gathered, had taken over the entire Ado-Ekiti, ostensibly to prevent the rally from holding in the town, as they fired tear gas canister to disperse the supporters, who had gathered at various locations in the town to welcome Bamidele.

However, the situation became tensed when Bamidele and his entourage entered the town through Akure/Ado-Ekiti at about 12.37 p.m. in a long convoy and were received by a large crowd of supporters at the Mobil junction in Ajilosun.

Trouble actually started when the convoy got to Oke-Isha roundabout and was attacked by the riot policemen, a development which made him to take a detour and  headed towards Ojumose/Stadium road en route Dalemore.

Bamidele, who represents Ado-Ekiti-Irepodun-Ifelodun federal constituency, was initially billed to address supporters at Rose Bud Primary School field, but later changed the venue to his campaign office, Basire area of Ado-Ekiti, where at the same time  was also not allowed to address his supporters.
The rally train, which stretched from Ikere town, through Fajuyi to his Basiri road campaign office in Ado-Ekiti had been peaceful with Bamidele’s supporters chanting praises of the lawmaker before the police started firing tear gas and later live bullets.

The situation became more intense when Bamidele mounted the balcony of his Bibiire Coalition office to thank the police, the State Security Service (SSS) and other security operatives for their efforts to maintain peace.

But hardly had he finished telling his supporters that he would only address the gathering for five minutes than tear gas canisters started flying into the compound, making many of the supporters and visitors to scamper to safety.

Some of the residents and supporters who scampered for safety, were slumped and several wounded in the ensuing melee.

Though no casualty was recorded, THISDAY, however, confirmed that scores of the supporters were injured, while the police pounded the venue for over an hour.

It was further gathered that those, who sustained varying degrees of injuries were said to have been rushed to a nearby private hospital, where they were given medical treatment.
Bamidele’s declaration was scheduled to take off in Ajilosun and end at his Bibire headquarters within the metropolis.

Reacting to the incident, Bamidele said: “What happened today is a major setback for the state, which we call ‘Land of Knowledge’. It is an unprovoked - state induced terrorism against innocent people of the state.”

He reiterated that since he was qualified to contest the governorship race, he would answer the clarion call of the people by vying for the post, alleging that: “Dr. Kayode Fayemi and members of his administration instigated the disruption of the rally” and that by so doing, “he has further enhanced my governorship ambition.”

According to him, he was able to arrive at the conclusion that the state government was behind the attack on his rally due to information available to him and also, because roads leading to the state capital were blocked earlier in the day to prevent his supporters from participating in the rally.

“I wrote a letter to the governor to notify him about the campaign. But this morning, there were blockades preventing our supporters from coming into the state capital. Initially, they said it was the NURTW members that were blocking the road, but it took the intervention of eminent persons in the state like Chief Afe Babalola, to get the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr Mohammed Abubakar, to open the road.

“The intention was to prevent me from the declaration, but thank God the declaration had been done. The people had shown that their love for me is real. And I am overwhelmed by the mammoth crowd that turned out at the event,” he said.

He, however, vowed that despite the intimidation, “I will take this as another life battle to fight.”

Earlier, in the morning, the hoodlums, allegedly led by the state RTEAN Chairman, Mr Rotimi Olabiwonu, had brandished dangerous weapons, including guns, cutlasses and sticks to harass passers-by.

The protest by the drivers also forestalled commercial motorcyclists, school children, civil servants and traders at the popular Erekesan Market and other strategic business centres like banks in Ado-Ekiti, from going about their normal duties.

The hoodlums allegedly blocked Ado-Akure road with a truck, while other roads that linked to the state capital from Ifaki, Ijan, Ikere, Ilawe and Afao Ekiti, were allegedly blocked to prevent Bamidele’s supporters from all the 16 local government areas from entering Ado-Ekiti.

When journalists approached the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Etim Oqua, he declined to comment on the issue, but complained why the rally was not stopped earlier, stressing that “this was not our agreement.”

Similarly, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Victor Babayemi, claimed that the police disrupted the rally because it was not yet time for political rally to commence.

According to him, Bamidele and his men violated section 99 of the Electoral Act 2011 as amended; adding that what they embarked upon was political campaign and not just a rally.

The police image maker maintained that before campaign could be embarked upon, it had to be 90 days before election, which he said, Bamidele had violated.

On the drivers’ protest, Babayemi said the police took a proactive action to prevent hoodlums from causing a breakdown of law and order in the state.

“Road transport workers had earlier in the morning staged a violent rally on the premise that government did not give them bus, we only wanted to prevent hoodlums from hijacking it. So, we did not disrupt any rally,” he said.