Other prominent party men at the receiving end of the police action were former governors Rabiu Kwankwaso, Sule Lamido as well as Tanimu Turaki and Datti Babba-Ahmed who are presidential aspirants under the main opposition party and Senator Dino Melaye
The incident took place at the Force Headquarters where the protesters had gone to express their disappointment over the conduct of the poll and to warn against the manipulation of future elections.
The protesters, who moved in open trucks, carried banners expressing displeasure about the Osun election and described the declaration of Gbenga Oyetola of the APC as the winner of the election as a call to civil unrest.
They also warned against any attempt to repeat the manipulation in the 2019 general election.
Some of the banners they displayed condemned the role of security agents in the election with some reading: “Police an arm of APC,” “INEC, enough is enough,” “Declare Adeleke winner of the Osun State governorship elections,” ‘ INEC Chairman must resign,” among others.
However, they were attacked by the police as they made their way to the entrance of the police headquarters by policemen who had mounted a barricade.
Melaye, who was the conductor of the protest, tried to force his way in but elicited teargas canisters and gunshots from the police who were intent on dispersing the protesters.
The protesters had earlier stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to similarly expressed their displeasure over its conduct of the poll.
Addressing the crowd at INEC headquarters, Secondus demanded the resignation of the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, and the Commission’s National Commissioner in charge of Operations, Amina Zaraki, to resign.
He said: “The country is sleeping on a keg of gunpowder. You know it. If you feel that Nigerians are not aware of the activities of INEC and police, you are deceiving yourselves.
You are pushing Nigerians to the wall and when you push them to the wall there would be resistance. We hope we will not get there, but this will serve as a notice.
“Therefore we demand that INEC Chairman should resign, Amina Zakari should resign. She is the manipulator of all elections.
“Let me address Mr President, Muhammad Buhari. You cannot continue to give instructions to security agents to carry out your agenda, instead of protecting Nigerians.
“The hunger in the land is too much, the corruption in the country is too much. You are not fighting corruption, you are fighting your perceived enemies, you are fighting the masses. Nigerians have left you.
“You cannot change the will of the people by force, take note and stop directing the security agencies and INEC to rig elections. You must come out clean. What we expect from you is to conduct a free and fair election”.
Also speaking. Senate President, Saraki, said: “We are here representing millions of Nigerians to speak to you, that INEC. you have a responsibility by law, by the constitution to do what is right to all Nigerians.
“Enough is enough of elections that are not credible. Enough is enough of impunity. Enough is enough of harassment. INEC, you met a standard, don’t take us back.
“Nigeria has raised the standard of electoral processes, take us forward, don’t take us backwards. The last two elections have been said all over villages, towns, Africa, other continents that it was a sham. INEC enough is enough.
“Just last night, the Senate and Congress in the United States issued a statement saying enough is enough. We must have credible elections in Nigeria. You are not a department or a division of the APC. You represent the entire Nigeria and Nigerians are saying give us a free and credible election.
“Be courageous and bold to stand for the truth because tomorrow history will judge you. We stand here to say we don’t want favours, just give us a free and fair election.
“Let me warn you INEC, Nigerians will not take elections that are not credible. Stand with Nigerians because you represent us, stand and be impartial because you are an independent commission.
“We are here to demand that you do the right thing, free and fair elections 2019 for the unity and peace of this country.”
On his part. the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Fayose, said:
“We want to let INEC know a few things and remind them that the damage done to this country is enough. The damage was done to our democracy and by extension, the common man is enough.
“If the people cannot choose their leaders anymore, then we are in trouble.
“In 2014, APC won the election in Osun state by 114,000 votes. But this last election, with all the rigging, APC won by 400 votes, that is a statement enough to say APC is no more in the demand in Nigeria.
“We are not asking for favours, this country and this INEC belong to Nigerians and Nigerians must be respected by allowing them to make a choice.
“If Jonathan had behaved this way, we would not have a Buhari in power. We had a Buhari in power because somebody thought the rights of Nigerians must not be trampled upon by INEC and everybody received the present administration with open hands.
“I want to say again on behalf of PDP and the governors of PDP that rigging will not work in 2019. We say no to rigging. We are already contesting against police, security agencies, and the alibi of INEC always is that we are not in charge of security agencies. You cannot be a referee in the pitch, and be giving excuses while thugs took over the field.
“We are saying again to the security agencies that enough is enough. Don’t take away the right s of Nigerians. We want a Nigeria that belongs to Nigerians,” he said.
Also speaking, Governor Tambuwal, said: “Chairman of INEC and members of the commission, we are addressing here directly on behalf of millions of Nigerians.
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“Our demands are simple, we demand free, fair and credible elections all throughout this country.
“I believe that Chairman of INEC before this temporary assignment, you have a history and you have a record. Don’t allow anybody, no matter how high, to use you to undermine the will of Nigerians.
“You cannot suppress us, you can not intimidate us. Elections in Nigeria must be held freely and fairly, and whoever wins should be given the mandate. That is what we want and we shall take nothing less.”
In its formal response to the attack, the PDP condemned it as dastardly, unwarranted and unprovoked
It said in a statement issued by Kola Ologbodiyan, its National Publicity Secretary that the unleashing of violence on the party leaders would not cow the party.
The PDP, however, vowed that no amount of attacks, aggression or acts of intimidation will deter it from confronting and dismantling the rigging machinery of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and coast to victory in 2019.
The party added: “The whole world was shocked when the Police physically assaulted, fired tear gas canisters and violently dispersed our party leaders who were on peaceful protest to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, over the use of police by the APC to rig elections, particularly the September 22, 2018, Osun State Governorship election.
“Acting on ‘orders from above,’ the Police assaulted our elected leaders, including our national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Ekiti Governor, Chief Ayo Fayose, our presidential aspirants, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Bar. Kabiru Tanimu, Mallam Sule Lamido, among others.
“This unwarranted attack has left no one in doubt that our Police has finally been turned into a militant wing of the APC, with direct orders to use force to repress opposition and turn our nation into a one-party state.
“It has also shown that the Police, under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has officially declared war on the opposition and there is no way our safety is guaranteed under the current police leadership.
“If the Police, which ought to protect the people, the law and the democratic process, could show such violent aggression on notable leaders, then it can no longer be trusted with the welfare and safety of regular citizens.
“One can only imagine the level of violence that is being daily unleashed on our citizens by the APC- control Federal Police.
“It is completely reprehensible that the same APC leaders, Including President Buhari, who were allowed to freely hold protests under the PDP administration, could now turn around to approve police brutality and aggression against the opposition.
“We know that the essence of such attacks is to instil fear and siege mentality on the people so as to cow them to submission ahead of the 2019 general election.”
The PDP, therefore, called on all Nigerians and the international community to rise up in direct condemnation of APC’s use of state apparatus of Power against law-abiding citizens and groups.
It further said: “On our own part, the PDP lists this particular violent attack as a wake-up call to all Nigerians to rise in defence of our democracy.
“This country belongs to all of us and the PDP will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to in any way whatsoever, intimidate or subjugate us ahead of the 2019 elections.
“We are now determined to face all force of intimidation until we return our nation to the path of rule of law, good governance and national cohesion.”
In his response to the protest, out-going Governor of Osun State. Rauf Aregbesola described protesters as mentally unstable.
Speaking to State House correspondents after presenting Osun Governor-Elect, Gboyega Oyetola, to President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja on Friday, Aregbesola observed that their action was grossly irresponsible.
He pointed out that anybody not satisfied with the outcome of the election should go to court.
Aregbesola argued that there was no need for protest since the PDP has already brought the matter before the tribunal.
Asked to comment on the protest, he said: “I will not even respond to this because what you are referring to is a charade, an act of gross irresponsibility from people who ought to know that after an election, the only option left for every responsible citizen is to go to the tribunal.
“And again interestingly, the other party the party that was defeated in the election is already in the tribunal. I don’t now know what the protest you are talking about is meant to do. If you are already in court and you are still doing a street protest either you are not mentally stable or you need psychiatric attention.”
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