There were protests in some parts of Ogun State on Friday during the All Progressives Congress primaries for the House of Representatives members in the state.
Pandemonium broke out at Centenary hall, Ake, Abeokuta, the venue of the primary for the candidate of Abeokuta South member of House of Representatives when an agent was pummelled by political thugs.
The agent, identified as Abass Ogunnmuyiwa, who was representing the serving member of the House of Representatives in the constituency, Lanre Edun, was beaten shortly before the result was announced.
Our correspondent gathered that the agent whose principal eventually lost to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Afolabi Afuape, in the exercise was attacked by some loyalists of the serving commissioner.
The political thugs reportedly grabbed the agent for his boldness to represent Edun who is occupying the position at the national assembly.
Protesting the results, the serving member of House of Representatives said, the process of the primary was full of errors.
Edun alleged a gang up against him despite his sterling performance as a federal lawmaker in the state.
He, however, said he would seek redress by making a formal complaint to the leadership of the party in the state and at the national level, describing the exercise as a charade.
Also, members of the APC from Sagamu constituency 1, offin, on Friday, protested against the alleged imposition of candidate over the party primary for members of the state House of Assembly held on Thursday.
The party members alleged that there were moves to impose one Abdul Bashir Oladujoye popularly called Shitta currently representing Sagamu constituency 1 at the state House of Assembly on another aspirant for the seat.
The party members who held the protest around Eleja, Sagamu were armed with placards bearing different messages such as “All we are saying is that we don’t want imposition of candidate, “We are not asking for too much, we only demand free and fair election”, Hon Abeeb Ajetunmobi is ready to stand up for free and fair elections” among others.
Speaking with journalists during the protest, one of the delegates, Tajudeen Sonubi, said any attempt to substitute their preferred candidate Abeeb Ajetunmobi with another would not be accepted.
He said, “We are here to protest what happened on Thursday during the primary for the representative of the state assembly for Sagamu Constituency 1 which was held at Muslim High School, Sagamu.
“We found out that after the first five delegates from the Ward of our incumbent lawmaker, Hon Shitta had voted and delegates from other nine Wards wanted to vote for the candidate of their choice, rather than being allowed to choose the candidate that they want, the people there just started writing the name of Hon Shitta on the ballot paper but we rejected this outrightly.
Also, another set of members of the APC on Friday, took their protest to the Abeokuta residence of former governor of the State and leader of APC, Segun Osoba, kicking against the emergence of Governor Dapo Abiodun as the party’s flagbearer in 2023.
The protesters said they were protesting against what they called marginalisation of some party members loyal to Chief Osoba.
The aggrieved party members numbering about 100 were drawn from different local government areas of the state mainly, Obafemi-Owode, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, and Ifo/Ewekoro local governments.
Abiodun had visited Osoba in the late hours of Thursday after emerging winner of the controversial APC governorship primary election in the state to thank the party leader for his support.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, a Septuagenarian, simply identified as Chief Kelani from Ofada ward, said the popular House of Assembly aspirant has been replaced.
The protesters said Abiodun did not deserve the second term ticket following his alleged marginalization of party members and running the government of a “selected few”.
“We don’t want Dapo Abiodun again as our party candidate. Baba Osoba, Dapo Abiodun must go. Enough of this suffering and marginalization. He met us in this party. The majority of us that worked for the party’s stability have been pushed aside by him and his cronies that are running this government.
“We don’t want a government of selected few. Many of our members who laboured for this party in the past and aspired for Assembly’s tickets and House of Representatives have been pushed aside. Help us rescue this party from Dapo Abiodun. We don’t want him anymore.”
Addressing the angry protesters, Chief Osoba who expressed displeasure over the manner and conduct of the protesters in his compound, promised to look into their complaints and discuss them with the governor.
He said “I want to warn, if you want to see me, there’s no time I close my gate, I don’t like how you barged into my compound even when the security informed you to wait for my arrival. Like I always tell you, don’t play sectional politics. Always stand with the party. I have heard what you said, but I will look into them. In the future, if you want my attention, just send representatives, I’ve heard what you said, I will look into your complaint and see what we can do.
“I have heard a lot. People are complaining, but I won’t go and beg anyone or call anybody to secure ticket for anyone. I’ve also instructed my son to fight for himself. I won’t beg anybody, the insult is too much.
“As you’re aware, two people in this government are contesting against my son, one Adeshina from Internal Revenue Service and Twinny, but I won’t call anybody for my son’s ticket, the insult is much. Olumide is grown enough in politics to fight for himself.”
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