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Selective Policing: #EndSars Protesters Arrested over COVID-19 Law, Crowd at APC Rally Spared
Hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos on Friday crowded into a street in Agege for a sensitisation rally, in clear violation of the state’s COVID-19 law.
In a video obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, top party members of the party, including Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, were in attendance.
The rally held despite the ban on the gathering of more than 50 persons by the Lagos State Infectious Disease law and the COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations recently passed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Both regulations require that a physical distance of at least two metres shall be maintained at all times between persons and no gathering of more than 50 persons.
The laws also stipulate that persons will not be allowed in any gathering without the use of facemasks and proper washing of hands.
Despite these provisions, many of the APC party members who attended the sensitisation rally had no face masks on and there was total disregard for physical distancing.
The Lagos State government, had in the past, prosecuted people who violate COVID-19 protocols using the Infectious Disease law, including a popular Nigerian actress, Funke Akindele, who was convicted for violating the law.
During the last protest at the Lekki tollgate, the police arrested and charged 40 people to court for “failing to comply with the Restriction/Prohibition Quarantine Law which prohibits any social gathering to avoid spreading and contracting of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 5 of the Quarantine Act Q2 Law of Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The police spokesperson in Lagos, Muyiwa Adejobi, said he was not aware of the gathering.
“I will find out and revert,” Mr Adejobi told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.
Subsequent attempts to reach him throughout the weekend were unsuccessful; he did not respond to phone calls and text messages.
The gathering
In the video, the crowd at the rally sang in honour of Mr Obasa, who, as Speaker of the House, is the number three man in the Lagos State government.
Despite playing a key role in the passing of the Lagos Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulations, 2020, Mr Obasa addressed the crowd, who flagrantly violated COVID-19 protocols.
Speaking in the Yoruba language, the Speaker said there is a need for them to support the state government and other elected party members.
“Let us not fight one another, we need to dwell in love and also support the party,” he said in the opening of the video, with the crowd singing his praises.
He also told the party members that the state governor will open the Pen Cinema bridge, which is near completion “within the shortest time.”
“We are hopeful that the Pen Cinema Bridge will bring development to the Agege Constituency. We need to appreciate our governor and also support him because government is for everybody.
“We need to support elected officeholders. This bridge, for instance, if we see bad elements in the society trying to damage it, we should do our best to stop them,” Mr Obasa said.
The rally held on Friday, a day when markets across the state were shut to honour Lateef Jakande, the first civilian governor of Lagos State, who passed away last week.
Party speaks
Seye Oladejo, the spokesperson for APC in Lagos, said he was not aware of any rally in the state.
“That might be an old video, people post and repost and all that,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.
“The speaker is too responsible to do something like that. He is the best person to reach out to, but I am not aware of that” he said.
Mr Oladejo added that there is no cause for any rally within the party as registration and revalidation of members is ongoing.
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Eromosele Ebhomele, the Chief Press Secretary to Mr Obasa, he said it was not a rally but an APC party meeting and sensitisation in the Constituency.
Speaking on Mr Obasa’s presence despite the gathering flagrantly violated COVID-19 protocols, Mr Ebhomele said the Speaker was invited to the meeting like every other person.
“It was not the Speaker that organised the meeting, he was only invited.
“It was a party meeting and the issue that was discussed is the need for members of the party to go and revalidate their membership, as well as help, get new members into the party,” Mr Ebhomele said.
He further explained that because Mr Obasa is a party man and sensitisation held at his constituency, he needed to put up an appearance.
“Most of the people at the sensitisation were not even party members,” he said.
Civil Society reacts
Olanrewaju Suraju, the Chairperson of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, said the rally shows the level of impunity going on in Lagos, and a bad representation of the state government, the ruling party. and the police.
“This is about the rule of law and equality before the law, there are no two laws and rules for the rich and the poor. There is only one law that guides the society, especially where people have been prosecuted and even convicted,” Mr Suraju said.
“This is the height of impunity, it is also a very bad representation of the ruling party in Lagos State, the state government and the police command,” Mr Suraju said.
Citing examples of Funke Akindele, a popular Nigerian actress and the protesters recently prosecuted for violating COVID-19 protocols, he said if the state goes ahead to prosecute any other person for breaking the law, the sensitisation programme should be the breaking line.
“Anybody brought before the law for breaking the protocol, should query and question the credibility of the Lagos State government in prosecuting them if it fails to prosecute not only those who were in attendance, but those who went to the sensitisation rally to address the people and the ones behind the rally.
Premium Times
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, is set to formally join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on December 31, 2025.
The development would put to rest months of speculation about where the former Governor of Anambra State would pitch his tent in the coming elections.
Reports claim that Obi would be defecting with serving senators and other lawmakers elected on the platform of the LP, as well as remnants of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East region.
Specifically, Obi would be defecting alongside the Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh; that of Anambra North, Tony Nwoye; Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe; PDP chieftain Ben Obi; and members of the Obidient movement in the region.
It is not clear if the Abia State governor, Alex Otti, is part of the planned movement to the ADC.
The governor was recently approached by the PDP to join the party and re-contest his current position in 2027.
Further reports quoted Obi’s spokesperson, Valentine Obienyem, as confirming the planned defection of his boss to the ADC.
“Yes, it is true,” he reportedly said on Sunday.
Senator Umeh said the event would hold in Enugu, adding that it would involve all Obi’s supporters across the South East region.
“They will come from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo states to join those in Enugu, where this exercise will hold on 31st December,” he reportedly added.
Sources hinted that Obi, who has not hidden his intention to appear on the ballot in 2027, would contest the presidential ticket of the ADC.
On his part, Chief Chekwas Okorie, reportedly said that the expected formal defection of Obi to the ADC is a healthy development that could reshape the thinking and permutations of the 2027 general elections.
“I imagine that he would be defecting along with most of his associates and followers. I believe that a fortified and strong ADC will add value to the opposition and assuage the general fear of a possible one-party option to Nigerians come 2027. The APC, ADC and possibly the PDP locking horns in the 2027 democratic encounter promises a vibrant and robust electioneering campaign that will provide Nigerians the required options to make informed choices in electing their preferred leaders at all levels. I imagine that the APC leadership will return to the drawing table to map out the strategy to confront the emerging challenge. Nigerians are in interesting times,” Okorie stated.
National President of Njiko Igbo Forum (NIF), Rev Okechukwu Obioha, vouched support for Obi to ensure he reaches the pinnacle of his political career. He, however, cautioned that the ADC should not compromise merit and integrity in the choice of its presidential candidate, stressing that Obi remains the “hope for the restoration of the country on the path of greatness.”
