A security agent saved President Muhammadu Buhari from a vicious stone at the Ogun State All Progressives Congress presidential rally held in Abeokuta on Monday as suspected hoodlums pelted the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomole with stones.
The rally, which started after President Buhari arrived the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, was stopped for several minutes due to violence.
The crowd booed Buhari, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Oshiomhole and the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
But trouble began when Oshiomhole was invited to the podium for his speech.
When he mentioned Dapo Abiodun as the party’s governorship candidate in the state, the crowd started booing him while some threw objects including stones and water sachet, as shouts of “ole”, “ole,”,”ole” (thief, thief, thief ) rented the air.
One of the stones flew in the direction where the President was sitting, however Mr. Buhari was lucky as one of the security operatives took the hit to save him.
Mr. Tinubu was said to have left the venue in anger after the incident, while the President was still speaking.
Mr. Tinubu was so mad that while he was leaving the podium, he flung the APC’s flag which was placed beside him and went to sit in his car parked in the President’s convoy.
But as he walked away to the car, some suspected thugs followed him, shouting ‘ole’, “ole”,”ole.” “ole.”
Recall that Governor Ibikunle Amosun had failed in his bid to hand the APC governorship ticket for his ally, Adekunle Akinlade.
He later accused Oshiomhole and some APC leaders of working against his interest through Abiodun’s emergence, vowing never to hand over to Abiodun.
Mr. Akinlade, as a result defected to the Allied Peoples Movement and Amosun promised to work for his election as governor.
But at the rally, Mr. Amosun had begged the angry crowd, in vain, not to disgrace him before the president.
He had said both in English and Yoruba, “I beg you in the name of God. This is what they want to happen. Please don’t disgrace me here.”
“Our father is here, please don’t disgrace me. I beg you in the name of God, please don’t disgrace me before our father… We have laboured this hard. I am appealing to you. Please leave. I beg you in the name of God, please leave. I beg you. I am begging.”
Noteworthy is that despite the confusion, Oshiomhole hurriedly presented the party flag to Abiodun.
cpcnews.org 