On Saturday, things went awry for the eagerly awaited gathering hosted by the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council in favor of former Anambra governor Peter Obi.
Candidate backers claim that while traveling to Tafawa Balewa Square, where the gathering was being held, they were accosted by violent offenders. The party’s publicity secretary, Mr. Seye Oladejo, issued a statement to newsmen in which the All Progressives Congress adamantly denied any involvement in the attacks.
He said, “It is irresponsible and reckless of the tottering party to level such a wild allegation without any substantial proof. The APC as the ruling party in Lagos State remains the biggest stakeholder to ensure that there’s no breakdown of law and order.”
A different version of the events was provided by the Lagos State Police Command, with SP Benjamin Hundeyin claiming in a statement that only four people were hurt by accused hoodlums thought to be connected to rival political parties.
Strong Obi supporter Ayansola Dare, however, refuted the police’s story on Saturday, asserting that there were more casualties.
One of the victims, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisals, said, “Some men came out of nowhere with sticks and stones and attacked me and my friends as I stepped out of my house near Iyana-Oworo and stopped at Obalende, where I would take another bus to the event.
“They kept asking us, ‘What has Obi done for you?’, ‘You are in Lagos and you are supporting Obi?’. It took the intervention of the policemen around the Access Bank area to calm things down but that was after they had inflicted me with injuries using their sticks.
“One of my friends was severely injured in his head. He has been taken to the clinic for treatment.”
A violent video of LP candidate supporters getting emergency medical care was posted on Twitter by user @JaypeeGeneral.
Bus driver Daniel Etim told reporters at TBS that while taking supporters to the location of the LP event in his bus, they were attacked by thugs with sticks and stones.
In the meantime, Obi denounced the assault on his supporters and urged security organizations to defend everyone’s fundamental human rights.
