From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Saturday addressed some Buhari-Must-Go protesters in Ibadan, the state capital, when he drove into their midst at Oshuntokun Junction, Bodija Ibadan.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions, such as “Buhari must go!” “End impunity in Nigeria!” “Food is very expensive, we must get angry,” and “Revolution Now,” among others.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, told Sunday Sun that the convoy of the governor ran into a barricade made by the protesters at the Oshuntokun Junction and the governor had to step down from his vehicle to address them.
Adisa explained that the governor would not run over them, adding that Makinde calmed them down and appealed to them not to be violent.
A video clip that went viral on social media showed Makinde where he used a megaphone to address the protesters. But the video clip did not really capture his speech that could have been transcribed.
However, streets in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were deserted on Saturday as Nigerians celebrate another anniversary of June 12, as residents stayed at home due to fear of violent protest by angry youths.
Markets were also locked just as angry youths converged on Mokola Roundabout in Ibadan and demanded a better country.
However, there was calm across most parts of Ibadan. Areas such as Iwo Road, Agodi Gate, Beere, Oje, Agbowo, Ojoo, Akobo, and Aleshinloye among others were calm with few motorcyclists and commuters plying the streets.
Sunday Sun observed that there was heavy deployment of security men across most parts of the state capital as men of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Amotekun Corps were seen at strategic locations.
But the situation was different at Mokola Roundabout in Ibadan as angry youths with posters and banners of different inscriptions converged on the area and blocked the road.
Although the protesters were not violent in their approach, men of the Nigerian Army, Police and Civil Defence were fully on the ground to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
Sunday Sun observed that different groups staged the protest in Ibadan. A group of youths protested from the Agodi government house to the front of the University of Ibadan campus, while some young persons also stationed themselves at the Mokola Roundabout.
A cross-section of the protesters who spoke with our correspondent accused the federal government of inaction, saying Nigerians are suffering.
They described June 12 as historic in the political history of Nigeria, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and other political leaders to continue to draw inspiration from the history of the day.
The coordinator of the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), Abiodun Bamigboye, who was among the protesters, said: “We are out to express our dissatisfaction with the current situation of our country. We are protesting against insecurity, poverty, impunity and unemployment in the land. We are calling on all Nigerians to support this struggle because we are continuing the protest tomorrow(Sunday). This is the beginning of the protest. We must not allow Nigeria to die.”
In the same vein, a leader of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Oyo State, Emiola Solomon, also stated: “We are here today to protest against impunity and insecurity in Nigeria. We are calling on all Nigerians to come out and protest against Buhari. He is the only problem of this country. Buhari must go! This protest must continue until Buhari leaves.
“We are ready to die if security wants to kill us. The police officer who shot Omoyele Sowore must be brought to book. She must be prosecuted. All the activists, who are held incommunicado by Buhari must be released. They have the rights to express themselves.”