Anti-Tinubu's “O to Ge” movement commences in Lagos, as Police disrupt rally

Oredola Adeola

A group known as Free Lagos  Orange Movement converged in Lagos on Thursday to kick start the anti-Tinubu's O to Ge” movement. The activists group gathered for its inaugural rally at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, ahead of the March 9, Gubernatorial election.

The group that is made up of political activists in the state met at the  Oranmiyan Hall in the hotel to strategize on how to end the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dynasty in Lagos.

The activists also planned to stop Asiwaju from foisting Mr.Babajide Sanwo-Olu,  APC's Governorship candidate on the state, condemning  the violence that characterised the February 23 presidential and National Assembly elections in some parts of Lagos State.

The activities of the group was however disrupted when other members who arrived  the venue in three BRT buses were denied entrance by the Police who shot into air to disperse them.
Journalists and some group members who had gained access before the arrival of the security agents waited for hours for the commencement of the programme slated for 10a.m.

Addressing the media after the face - off with security men in Ikeja , one of the conveners of the movement, Mr . Mark Adebayo , said that the election day violence prevented many voters from exercising their civic rights.

He alleged that many were intimidated by those he called ‘agents of bondage’ , a development he said was not good for democracy.

Adebayo said that such happenings threatened the emergence of the choices of the people.
He said that the movement was deeply concerned about the control of the state ’s resources by a group of people for several years.

The co- convener said it was time to free Lagos State from what he called ‘bondage ’ and allow the will of the people to prevail, urging residents to free themselves and their future in the coming election.

Adebayo said it was time to challenge what he called the ‘ political hegemony that had maltreated them and cornered their resources.'

He said ‘enough is enough ’ of such , urging Lagos residents to arise and use their PVCs to vote for freedom, justice and development in the March 9 governorship and state assembly elections.

Meanwhile the Lagos State Police Command has deployed its men numbering about 30 arrived the venue in three Police vans, barricading the venue of the rally to stop the procession of the rally.

Police spokesman in the state , CSP Chike Oti , told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone conversation disclosed that the officers are at the venue to prevent threats to peace.

He said the action did not have any political undertone, as Police responded to a call that some hoodlums were coming to the venue to unleash violence.

“ What we did was to respond to security threats distress call at the venue of the programme.

“ We got credible information that hoodlums were planning to hijack the programme to unleash violence on those expected to attend.

“ We cannot sit back to allow any breach of security , we intervened to prevent criminals from gaining access so that the programme could hold peacefully , ” he said .