By Uche Amunike
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has put a hold on Bola Tinubu’s Presidential campaign rally, which was billed to take place at the Mapo Hall in Ibadan, Oyo State, Tuesday as a result of fuel scarcity and unavailability of cash caused by the the implementation of the Naira redesign policy which is presently ongoing in different parts of the country.
Speaking to newsmen, Monday, through a press release signed by the APC Spokesperson in Oyo State, Wasiu Olawale Sadare, he stated that the postponement was indefinite, but that it would aid in letting President Muhammadu Buhari resolve the prevalent fuel and Naira notes scarcity, nationwide .
The statement partly read: ‘We regret to announce the indefinite postponement of our presidential rally earlier slated for tomorrow (Tuesday). The decision was taken, apparently, in consideration to the prevailing challenges facing the people and the need to allow President Muhammadu Buhari work around the situation and ensure that normalcy returns particularly as it concerns fuel and currency notes crisis,’ he said.
‘At Oyo APC, we were convinced that it was necessary to go ahead with event in order not to play into the hands of some anti-democratic forces who do not want the nation’s general election to go on as scheduled because they feel the outcome of the poll, this time, would produce a new order capable of returning Nigeria to Nigerians.’
It further stated: ‘Although a new date is yet to be announced, I can assure the general public that Oyo state will host Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in no time and it is going to be a huge success. However, we appeal for calm among the citizenry as we must not lose focus on doing all that is necessary to ensure the fruition of the dream to have Tinubu as the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’
Protesters took to the streets in many parts of the state last week, to show their anger over the hardship and frustration they have been put through, as a result of the scarcity of fuel and Naira notes.
Recall that the protesters attacked the office of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde on Friday, when security agencies tried to prevent them from seeing him.
According to the police Oyo State Police Command, a protester was shotdead when security officers confronted them on Sunday, in the Apataarea of the state.
Recall that before this postponement, the Oyo chapter of the APC had earlier accused the PDP of planning to plan chaos at the earlier scheduled rally to be held by Bola Tinubu and his campaign team on Tuesday. Sadare released a statement to that effect, stating that the Seyi Makinde-led PDP government and the Park Management System (PMS) had plans to attack members of the public when they assemble to receive the Bola Tinubu Campaign train in Ibadan.
His statement: ‘The decision to go ahead with the Tuesday rally, despite the crisis occasioned by the biting effect of fuel and naira notes scarcity being experienced by the masses, was borne out of the desire to shame some anti-democratic forces, who are bent on truncating the chances Tinubu at the poll.’
The PDP has however described the allegation as a figment of the APC’s imagination, adding that the internal crisis in the Oyo Chapter of the APC was enough to make them lose the coming guber election.
