* Police clarify incident
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC), on Thursday, condemned what it described as mindless and unprovoked attacks on people from the Southeast resident in Lagos State in the course of registering to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC).
Reports say that thugs, on Thursday, attacked traders from the Alaba market during the registration exercise in Ojo area of the State.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdul-Azeez Adediran, condemned the alleged attack, vowing to resist intimidation.
The Ohanaeze youth council ia statement by its President-General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike condemning the reported attacks, stated: “We have already been pushed to the wall, what they are doing now amounts to pushing Ndigbo beyond the walls and the consequences could be drastic.
“The two major political parties in the country cannot deny the South-East presidential ticket and at the same time deny them the opportunity to exercise their franchise. This is a call for total anarchy in the land and we are urging the security agencies to rise to the occasion”,
The Ohanaeze leader further urged the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu “to call their people to order.”
He said: “However, what we will not condone is the mindless and unprovoked attack on Igbo resident in Lagos State.
“If those behind this mayhem are not doing his bidding, he should come out and condemn their actions in strong terms. The same goes for the Lagos State Governor, who is the Chief Security Officer. He must ensure the protection of every resident of Lagos State no matter where the person comes from.
“We also call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy registration materials to churches and other public places in Lagos in order to give Nigerians free access”. It will not condone mindless and unprovoked attacks on her people in Lagos State for trying to register and secure their Permanent Voters Card, PVC
Meanwhile, the PDP governorship candidate, through a statement by his spokesman Gbenga Ogunleye, condemned the “intimidation of the traders”.
He alleged that some residents of Amuwo Odofin, Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo and a few other LGAs in Lagos West Senatorial District have expressed disappointment over their inability to register to obtain their Permanent Voter Card (PVC).
He said the residents alleged “deliberate attempt by INEC officials in collaboration with the ruling party to disenfranchise them”.
He asked INEC to take proactive measures in forestalling rising incidents of glitch in the exercise.
He added that complaints from Lagosians at various registration centres across the state on the slow pace of the registration exercise require urgent attention.
“Traders from Alaba International Market who shut the market yesterday to allow them participate in the continuous voters registration exercise were frustrated with the lackluster performance of the INEC officials. It was reported that some of these traders were attacked by politically motivated thugs because of their perceived sympathy for the PDP,” he said.
Adediran called on INEC to respond swiftly to the reactions of these set of Lagosians “who are willing to perform their civil obligation before the deadline set for the exercise”.
He also warned the hoodlums and the Lagos government to desist from harassing and intimidating residents who are bent on exercising their civic responsibilities and “fed up with the misrule of the ruling party”.
He commended the Alaba traders for their “selfless sacrifice” and others who took time off from their private engagement to get their PVC.
He assured them that any attempt to attack or disenfranchise them henceforth will be met with stiff resistance
But the spokesman of Lagos Police Command, Mr. Benjamin Hundeyin, in a tweet on his official handle, said the incident had nothing to do with Igbo.
“First, this wasn’t about Igbos. These are the true facts behind the trending videos. The entire Alaba International Market decided to close the market today (Thursday) to enable the traders register for their PVCs. A phased closure would have been better,” Hundeyin argued.
“Consequently, the Ojo Local Government venue of the registration was besieged by a mammoth crowd. The situation was made worse by the fact that only one registration terminal was working.
“One of the people who came for registration made trouble and was challenged by those around. Going by simple probability, the attacker or the attacked is very likely to be Igbo.
“They were simply large in number. However, giving this incident ethnic colouration would not help matters. The entire episode lasted a few minutes. Sadly, recordings from those few minutes are still travelling far and wide.
“Normalcy has since returned, and the Divisional Police Officer there is fully in charge of the security situation.”