Political Rally Mistaken for Anti-Tinubu Protest in Lagos

Matilda Omonaiye/

A political rally for a politician seeking reelection into the Lagos State House of Assembly today at Oniru, along the Lekki-Epe expressway was mistaken for a protest against the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Supporters of the aspirant (name withheld), who is contesting under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, had reportedly converged on the headquarters of Eti-Osa local government, Victoria Island, to kick-start the rally.

Passersby however mistook it for a solidarity rally for the embattled governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode, due to the pro-Ambode slogans the participants were reportedly chanting.

An eyewitness who called NewsmakersNG from the scene claimed that scores of youths have taken over a section of the Lekki-Epe expressway to protest the perceived unfair treatment of Ambode by Tinubu.

The eyewitness further claimed that the protesters were chanting anti-Tinubu songs, while expressing solidarity with Ambode.

Some APC faithful, however, told NewsmakersNG that the gathering had nothing to do with the perceived rift between Tinubu and Ambode but a rally organised for a politician popularly called ‘Igbara’.

Police are yet to react to the development.

The purported opposition of Tinubu to Ambode’s bid for a second term of office and the emergence of other governorship aspirants in the APC, one of whom reportedly enjoys Tinubu’s backing, has been generating political tension both in the party and within political circles in the state.