4.‘Presidency’ and the Abuja bigwigs
Osun election was a test of might between the federal and state government. The PDP had the mind to re-enact its Ekiti feat by winning more states in the south-west, whereas the All Progressives Congress wanted to retain the seat of power and also test its popularity among the people. What you have in such situation is better imagined.
APC’s leaders relocated to Osogbo about a week to the election and the PDP bigwigs did the same. However, a few days to the poll, Osogbo came alive with dignitaries: minister of state for defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; minister of police affairs, Jeilil Adesiyan; and some other top-notch personalities who hid their identities behind the tinted glasses of vehicles blazing through the state in an intimidating manner.
Sulaiman Abbba, acting inspector general of police was also in Ekiti. So was Brigadier-General Johnson Olawunmi, director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC); Evans Uwerem, deputy comptroller-general, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Commission (NSCDC), and so on.
Personally, I counted well over 100 vehicles with number plates bearing PRESIDENCY and someone else might be forced to think the president was also in town. The bigwigs shook Osun to its foundations, but the people sent across a strong message: no army, no matter how powerful, can stop an idea whose time has come.
Advertisement
Add a comment
