VIOLENCE was averted on Monday at the Ogun State rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after angry youths almost shouted down some of the party leaders including President Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

Trouble started after the State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun spoke, stressing that the gathering was chiefly for President Muhammadu Buhari and not for “the other one”. By “the other one”, Amosun was referring to the APC governorship candidate, Dapo Abiodun, whom he had vowed to work against.

The Ogun APC is currently divided into two factions, one loyal to Governor Amosun and the other to the national leadership of the party. The Amosun led faction is supporting Adekunle Akinlade for the governorship position of the state, but the APC leadership prefers Abiodun who had won the party’s governorship primary election.

As a result, Akinlade had left the APC to join the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Amosun, who himself is running for a senatorial seat on the APC platform, pledged to support him against the wish of the APC leadership.

But during his speech on Monday, Oshiomhole tried to campaign for Abiodun, addressing him as the incoming governor of Ogun State.

The crowd reacted angrily, hurling abusive words at him while some persons threw empty water cans. Chants of “ole, ole, meaning “thief, thief” rented the air, and the boos became worse as Oshiomhole attempted to call the bluff of the crowd and continue speaking.

It took the intervention of the governor, who, though visibly angry, appealed to the crowd not to disgrace him in front of “our father Buhari”, before calm was restored temporarily.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, himself from Ogun State, also mounted the platform and addressed the people in Yoruba, urging them to vote for Buhari come February 16.

When President Buhari eventually addressed the crowd, he said the people should vote for their preferred candidate across party lines, stressing that it was their right to chose who governs them.

However, another round of violence erupted when Buhari raised the hands of the APC governorship candidate, Abiodun, as a sign of endorsement. At this, the people began shouting “no, no”, while some resumed throwing water cans at the president.

Buhari was immediately shielded by his security men from the unruly crowd as the National Anthem was hurriedly taken and the event came to an abrupt end.

Watch the video clip here as was shared by a Twitter user.

https://twitter.com/IamforAtikuObi/status/1094992302840389634

Recall that a similar scenario had played out in Imo State where the Governor, Rochas Okorocha is supporting his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, who had left the APC after failing to win the party’s governorship ticket.

Okorocha, like Amosun, is running for Senate on the platform of the APC, but he insists that Nwosu would be the next governor, despite having joined the Action Alliance.

During his campaign rally in Imo State, Buhari also urged the people to chose their preferred candidate across party lines, but endorsed the APC candidate, Hope Uzodima, by raising his hands.