Crowd power as APC, PDP campaign trains ‘collide’ in Lagos

In LAGOS—There was a mild drama yesterday when several supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ran into a campaign train of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, alongside Mr Babatunde Fashola, the governor of Lagos at Alaka Bus Stop, Surulere. The PDP supporters allegedly abandoned their train,
folded their umbrella and threw away all other party souvenirs in exchange for those of the APC and joined the APC train shouting “Change, Change, Change.” A statement from the Ambode Campaign office summed up the experience, saying; ‘’It appears that Lagosians believe that Ambode represents the continuity they want and not to exchange the progress and prosperity of Lagos for what the PDP epitomizes at the national level. ‘’The people of Lagos have heard the voice of God and now they are echoing the change that they truly want.
‘’The crowd escorted Ambode and Fashola to the venue of the campaign rally at Shitta, Surulere where he thanked them for the show of love and acceptance and promised not to let them down if elected governor on February 28; pointing out that they can trust him having criss-crossed the state for 27 years serving on one local government or the other. ‘’He said he knows where the shoe pinches and would surely give attention to the welfare of the people of Lagos. Ambode is ready to take Lagos to the next level.’’ Allegation against us is blackmail – Lagos PDP Meantime, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos chapter, yesterday, lamented the unfair and the unfavourable dispositions of the Nigeria Police Force and other federal agencies against their party in favour of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP. The APC state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, during a briefing alleged that PDP members and their supporters “have been committing atrocities with impunity, with the aid of policemen.”
According to Igbokwe: “Like a thief in the night, they have waylaid our supporters, humiliate, intimidate, maim and even kill with reckless abandon. We are appealing to the law enforcement agencies to rise to the occasion before it is too late. “On Thursday January 22, 2015 in Agege, an APC supporter, Mr. Eyitayo Peter was shot dead while Lanre Ogunjimi sustained serious injury after a brazen attack by the supporters of a House of Representatives candidate of PDP. But in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, the party described the APC as a drowning party in Lagos State, adding that it is only interested in “overheating the polity to attract voters sympathy.” According to the party; “the over used ploy of always whipping up sentiments has become unfashionable to Lagosians and it advised the APC to face the real issues of campaigns and stop peddling lies.”