Motorists and traders in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Tuesday complained that the one million-man march organised by the All Progressives Congress for its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and Governor Dapo Abiodun disrupted their business activities in the state.
Our correspondent observed that the APC supporters during the rally blocked the major roads in Abeokuta.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, led a crowd from MKO Stadium and walked through the ever-busy Kuto market, Isabo, Iyana Mortuary, Adatan, and Moore Junction, among others, disrupting all activities in the markets.
So the traders at the Kuto market claimed that the walk had made them incur losses, saying that the crowd had destroyed their goods during the rally.
Khadijat Adesola said she lost over N22,000 worth of onions to the walk.
She however said she received a sum of N5,000 in compensation from one of the supporters.
She said, “I still thanked them; I will go to Oke Mosan, the governor’s office, to complain after today. Many traders were affected; they marched many goods while passing through this place.”
Also, a fishmonger, Ms. Aderoju Adeola, explained that two people fell on her displayed fish without waiting to say sorry.
Motorists in the state capital also expressed pain as passengers refused to pay transport fares while they alighted from cabs to trek.
An aged driver who identified himself simply as “Baba Alade” said the walk, which lasted for several hours, affected their revenue.
He said, “Usually, the walk from Panseke to Iyana Mortuary should not take more than 30 minutes, but today’s walk caused me a lot; I spent four hours.”
The campaigners later assembled at the NNPC junction, close to the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, while addressing the supporters at the NNPC underpass bridge, Kuto, urged the people of the state and party faithful to obtain their Permanent Voter’s Card in order to be eligible to perform their civic duties during the 2023 general elections.
PDP berates
Reacting to the walk, which stayed in front of the party secretariat, the People’s Democratic Party in the state condemned the walk.
In a statement signed by the state’s Publicity Secretary, Akin Bankole, the party condemned the APC for blocking the party’s secretariat entrance.
The party spokesperson said this act was targeted at causing violence, saying it takes the intervention of the party leaders to calm the PDP youths.
