Headlines
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
Headlines
Abiola Cannot Be Recognised As Former President; He Was Never Sworn-in – Gen Ishola Williams
By Eric Elezuo
One of the prime actors of the June 12, 1993 incidents, General Ishola Williams, has said that much as Chief MKO Abiola wrong was created having won the election, and denied victory, he cannot be recognized as a former President of Nigeria.
Gen Williams made his revelation while speaking as a guest on Channels television socio-political programme, Inside Source.
He maintained that only those who were sworn in that recognised as former presidents, and Abiola was never sworn in.
“Abiola cannot be recognised as former president because he was never sworn in.
The General, who said that he resigned from the army as a result of the wholesome reception given to General Sani Abacha, when he overthrew Chief Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, contrary to expectation, also picked flaws in the narratives given by former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, in his recently launched book, A Journey In Service.
Williams rose in the army to become the Commandant of Army Signals, Commander of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) and Chief of Defence Training and Planning, from where he resigned.
Headlines
Breaking: Supreme Court Recognises Martin Amaewhule As Rivers Assembly Speaker, Orders CBN to Stop Releasing Funds to State
By Eric Elezuo
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has in its ruling on Friday recognised Hon Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, mandating him to urgently resume sitting with elected members of the assembly.
The apex court also ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop releasing to the Rivers State government until a proper assembly is constituted.
Details soon…
Tension escalated at the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday as impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa made a dramatic return to reclaim his position.
Accompanied by heavily armed men, Obasa stormed the Assembly complex in a bold move that has thrown the State’s legislature into turmoil.
In a stunning turn of events, security details assigned to the substantive Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, were abruptly withdrawn on Thursday morning, clearing the path for Obasa’s controversial comeback.
Sources revealed that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the withdrawal of all security operatives attached to Meranda, leaving her exposed in the midst of an intensifying power struggle.
The Speaker’s Special Adviser on Information, Mr. Victor Ganzallo, expressed concern over the security vacuum created by the withdrawal of personnel.
“In the early hours of Thursday, we woke up to the startling news that all security details assigned to Madam Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, had been withdrawn.
This includes the police and DSS officers, leaving her exposed to threats amid the ongoing speakership crisis,” Ganzallo stated.
He further called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as the State’s Chief Security Officer, to intervene urgently to prevent a complete breakdown of law and order within the Assembly.
“The withdrawal of security personnel has left the Assembly naked and vulnerable at a critical time. Urgent action is needed to restore order,” he pleaded.
With the speakership battle taking a dramatic new turn, political watchers are keenly observing how the crisis will unfold in the coming days.
