Meanwhile, the inaugural campaign of APC in Lagos State yesterday turned violent with many people sustaining injuries as two factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) clashed.
The violence broke out between the supporters of NURTW Chairman, Oshodi Branch, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (a.k.a MC Oluomo) and that of his Lagos Island counterpart, Alhaji Azeez Lawal (a.k.a Kunle Poly) at the campaign held at Sky Power Ground, Ikeja GRA.
The crisis erupted shortly after the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, mounted the podium to deliver his speech in which he urged 6.5 million voters of the state to massively vote for Buhari and the APC governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
THISDAY findings revealed that disagreement first ensued in the rank of the executive members of the NURTW, including the state’s Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, Tafa Sego, Musiliu Akinsanya and Azeez Lawal after they crowded the stage set for Fuji star, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1).
Subsequently, the supporters of MC Oluomo were said to have fired gunshots to announce their presence at the venue of the campaign, thereby culminating in the eruption of violence on the stage, which later spread to other parts of the venue.
Investigations showed that MC Oluomo was pushed from the stage and stabbed by some hoodlums who were said to be loyal to other factions of the NURTW in the state.
He was later taken away from the scene.
As a result of the violence, the Lagos State Police Command declared one Mustapha Adekunle aka Sego, wanted for attempting to disrupt the APC rally.
The police also said they were able to arrest two persons so far in connection with the fracas.
While debunking claims that two people died in the rally, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti, told THISDAY that the casualties of the fracas actually survived and are recuperating in the hospital.
He said: “Nobody died in the crisis because the police immediately contained it. If people say there are dead bodies, they should provide them. We have two injured persons and not corpses.”
The violence had abruptly ended Sanwo-Olu’s inaugural campaign on a bad note yesterday.
In his message of assurance, however, Ambode led other political leaders in the state to unveil Sanwo-Olu’s campaign, urging voters to support the APC candidates at all levels to ensure continuity of good governance.
Ambode said it was on record that only Buhari showed concern about the abandoned infrastructure in Lagos State and was working on their renewal in conjunction with the state government.
He argued that it was time for residents to support the candidates of the party across all levels to consolidate on the gains so far recorded.
Ambode, who was at the rally with his wife, Bolanle, said the forthcoming elections would not be about religion or ethnicity, but about the need to return a government that had showed genuine care for the people, adding that it was clear that the President had walked the talk.
At the national level, he said, “We have only one choice, the choice of continuity is what we want and we need continuity and consolidation. We need to vote for Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
“This election at the national level is not about religion neither is it about tribe. It is about those who have the poor at heart. You know at the national level, we are already doing TraderMoni, we are doing N-Power and we are already doing Employment Trust Fund, among other things.
“We know we would be glad to return Buhari. He had shown for all the abandoned infrastructure projects in the state. It is only Buhari that has been propagating the renewal. So, we are very conscious that we need to continue voting for the APC,” Ambode said.
At the state level, Ambode said from 1999 till date, Lagos had continued to witness progressive growth, saying Lagosians should support the APC candidates to consolidate and take the state to higher levels.
