Thousands of residents including market women, traders, artisans, schoolchildren, political party stalwarts, religious leaders among others trooped out in major cities and towns across Ondo State to protest the controversial removal of Eyitayo Jegede as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the November 26 governorship election in the state.
The day 2 of the protests, on Saturday, October 29, 2016, saw protesters with placards with captions such as “The Federal and Judiciary should allow INEC to be independent”, “RIP Jimoh”, “Gone so soon Abang”, “Ondo is not for sale, Go Jimoh”.
In Akure, the state capital, the protesters led by speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Jumoke Akindele and Ondo State PDP chairman Clement Faboyede marched from Alagbaka through the popular Oba Adesida road and climaxed at the palace of Deji of Akure chanting “Eyitayo is Our Choice”
The action paralyzed vehicular, business and commercial activities as all shops in the city were under lock and key in solidarity with Eyitayo Jegede.
At the Deji’s Palace, the protesters who spoke through Faboyede said the protest was necessary to avoid a repeat of 1983 political crisis that started in Ondo State before spreading across the country.
“Kabiyesi, as residents of Ondo state, we are peace loving but will resist cheating with the last pant of our blood in line with the Ondo spirit,” Faboyede said.
“We want to use you and other traditional leaders to tell the All Progressives Congress Cabals hell bent on turning our state to a theatre of war to desist forthwith.
“We know that that crisis which ended the second republic in Nigeria started in the Old Ondo State. Jimoh is a member of the Accord Party and not the PDP,” the PDP chairman said.
Reacting, the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi appealed to concerned authorities to do the needful in correcting all wrongs that is about to set the state on fire, especially Akure his domain.
Oba Aladelusi however urged protesters not to be violent as he is confident the controversial order by Justice Okon Abang will be reversed by the Appellate court.
However, some of the protesters who vowed to continue the protests until the controversial judgment is reversed, later carried round the town a coffin with the names of Jimoh Ibrahim and Justice Okon Abang on it and stopped at intervals to perform ceremonial the dust to dust rites on it.
