There was pandemonium on Monday in some parts of Akure, the Ondo State capital, as Ali Olanusi deputy governor, returned to the Government House, Alagbaka, which he left about three weeks ago following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Security men attached to the deputy governor fired shots in the air to scare away protesters who had formed barricade at Mobil Fiwasaye Junction to prevent his convoy from moving to the Government House.
Olanusi was coming from Supare Akoko in Akoko Southwest Local Government when some youths with placards of various inscription rained abusive words on him. Some of the inscriptions read: ‘Ali Must go’, ‘No way for Olanusi in Government House’ ‘Olanusi is a traitor’ and Jasper Ali Must resign’.
Sensing danger, Olanusi’s security personnel shot sporadically into the air to scare away the protesters before they could pass through the road leading to the government house.
Sequel to the sound of gunshots, people around the Alagbaka area where many banks were located scampered for safety as they thought the shots were fired by armed robbers.
However, the undeterred protesters were said to have hurled stones, sachet water and other pebbles at the deputy governor’s convoy.
The confusion led to the deployment of military men to the banking areas.
Olanusi accused Olusegun Mimiko the state governor, of using suspected political thugs to harass him on his way to his official residence. “It is very surprising and rude shock that a sitting governor after conducting election is still going around with thugs to attack me in the State House.
“You can see things yourself at the roundabout, if I had not come with my convoy, they would have attacked me. I will call on the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of this zone, and the Inspector General of Police to protect me more for God’s sake.
“They should provide me with more mobile policemen to guard me. I am ready to resume duty as elected Deputy Governor of Ondo State.
“Nobody has told me to resign. If they are talking about impeachment they should go about it in a lawful way, not that they should use thugs to attack an elected deputy governor.
They should realise that as Mimiko was elected as governor, I Ali Olabusi was equally elected. He cannot be chasing me with thugs.”
But Eni Akinsola, the chief press secretary to the governor, denied that political thugs were used to harass the deputy governor.
He said some people were trying to reverse the trend of peace the state has been enjoying in the past six years.
According to him, Olanusi came to the town shooting sporadically and it was the aggrieved resident who had never witnessed such scene in the past years that protested against the deputy governor.
Akinsola said people should accept democracy as normal way of life, accept when their calculation went wrong and learn how to accept defeat.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Ondo State Students NAOS, has given the state House of Assembly seven days ultimatum to impeach the deputy governor for what they described as an act of betrayal.
The students association made this declaration when they led a peaceful protest to the governor’s office in Akure, demanding the impeachment of the deputy governor.
The students carried placards with various inscriptions like ‘No more grand father’ “Ali must go’, “Olanusi must go’ ‘This is the government of the youths’ ‘Olanusi is not a good leader,’ among others.
Speaking on behalf of the students,Awodola Afolayan, president NAOSS said the deputy governor had never been of any benefit to anybody in the state including the youths only for him to defect to another political party few days to the election.
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