|
 Daily Independent Online.
* Monday, August 09, 2004.
AD accuses Obasanjo of
supporting violence against Lagos
By
Lekan Sanni,
Correspondent, Lagos
The
Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos State on Sunday accused President
Olusegun Obasanjo of supporting the various atrocities being perpetrated
by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to destabilise the government of Governor Bola
Ahmed Tinubu.
Chairman
of the party, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye, at a press conference in Lagos
alleged that since the crisis started, the president has maintained
sordid silence, only to make an inflammatory statement on his support
while on a state visit to Osun State recently.
He
listed some of the atrocities being committed in the state to include
attempt to create parallel local government administration, attack on
LASTMA and KAI officials, forceful seizure and control of markets, car
parks, garages and public toilets, attack on local government
headquarters as well as seizure of local government statutory allocations.
According
to Ogunleye, the activities of the PDP in the state, led by Works
Minister, Adeseye Ogunlewe, was an open violation of not only the
constitution but also a disrespect of the laws of the land.
Surprisingly,
the president, he said, did not see anything wrong in these atrocities
being committed by his party members only for him to speak on the
determination of his party to “capture” the state in 2007.
He
said the AD was disturbed because Obasanjo by his position as president
is “supposed to be the president of all Nigerians and not just the
President of the PDP.”
The
president, Ogunleye said has the responsibility to offer the country
moral leadership, adding that as the current chairman of the African
Union, his actions and activities were being scrutinised worldwide.
The
chairman, however, warned that the AD members in the state have been
pushed to the wall, even as he spoke of their plan to defend the mandate
of the people.
He
said: “Let us firmly assure
the PDP at this point that the AD is battle ready to defend the mandate
of the people at all times.
Our teeming supporters will not sit back and allow a gang of
lawless vandals to illegally usurp power in Lagos state.”
According
to him, what is happening in Lagos is a “Planned Agenda” to take over the
state.
He
noted that the AD deemed it necessary to alert the public because if the
trend continues, there was the possibility for counter attack.
Ogunlewe
described Obasanjo’s declaration in Osun State as an unrealistic dream,
even as he said the current campaign by the PDP might be a plot towards
the declaration of a state of emergency.
“Mr.
President, we in the AD in Lagos State have been pushed to the wall. Our members have been battered
and brutalised enough. Our
legitimate government workers have been beaten and wounded enough.
“We cannot and will not
continue to condone this situation.
Please call your men to order now. You may be advised to ignore us. You may be tempted to dismiss us
as Lilliputians, but please remember David and Goliath,” he said.
|
