Jonathan, Buhari visit Lagos the same day

President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, the major contenders of the March 28 presidential election are currently in Lagos, the commercial nerve of the country.

While Jonathan arrived Lagos from Ijebu Ode in Ogun state, where he went to seek the blessings of Sikiru Adetona, the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Buhari flew in from the rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers state.

Jonathan visited the headquarters of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in Marina, where he rung the bell to signify the close of business for the day.

Traditionally, the NSE closes at 2:30pm on every week day and whenever there is an august visitor, the NSE accords the dignitary the honour of ringing the bell.

This is the first time that Jonathan would be visiting the NSE, where he is expected to launch an online mobile platform that would enable 30 million domestic investors have access to the stock market.

Meanwhile, Buhari held an interactive session with students from tertiary institutions across the south west at the Muson Centre, in Onikan, Lagos. He is also billed to attend a special dinner in his honour at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, later in the day.

Apart from Abuja, the federal capital territory, there is no other state in the country that has hosted both men on the same day in the buildup to the presidential election.

When John Kerry, the US secretary of state, visited Nigeria in January, both leaders held separate meetings with him in the most populous city in Africa.

However, residents of the state have been complaining of unbearably heavy traffic as a result of the visit of the dignitaries. Already, major roads in Lagos Island have been shut, resulting to paralysis of commercial activities in some parts.

“One is getting fed up with this constant closure of the road because of just one man,” said Mansur Omeiza, a resident who works on the mainland.

“I decided not to go to work today to prevent the hardship that road users encounter whenever the president is in town.”

Another resident who preferred not to be named also decried the closure of the road.

“Even when Jonathan is not in town, we know what we experience in terms of traffic, not to talk of now that they have closed many roads,” she said.

“Why would they even be closing the road? Are we in the northeast? There is no problem here. There is a better way to control traffic when the president is in town rather than deciding to punish the masses because they have power.”