The All Progressives Congress has said the presidential rally for Senator Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, ahead of the February 25 election will hold in Ibadan on Thursday, as scheduled.
The presidential campaign rally initially slated for January 9 was changed to February 7, 2023 but postponed again due to pockets of protests across the state.
It was thereafter fixed for February 16 at Mapo Hall, Ibadan.
The Director General, APC Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaigns Council, Oyo State, Dr Isiaka Kolawole confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday.
He said as at Wednesday morning, just like the times before every postponement, every necessary arrangement for a hitch free rally has been concluded with the venue ready and stage set.
Kolawole said the nefarious activities of some hoodlums being sponsored by the state government, Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP and their evil agents to cause strife in the state in order to forestall the actualization of the rally would not work.
He said, “The presidential rally of our party, the All Progressives Congress APC scheduled to hold tomorrow the 16th of February, 2023 at Mapo Hall will hold as planned.
As of this morning (Wednesday), we have concluded all the necessary arrangements for a hitch free rally; the venue is ready, and the stage is set. Our party members and the entire people of Oyo State are ready to receive and show their love to Asiwaju and Shettima.
“The nefarious activities of some hoodlums being sponsored by the state government, Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and their evil agents to cause strife in the state in order to forestall the actualization of the rally would not work.
“The Presidential candidate of our party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima will be in Mapo in the ancient city of Ibadan tomorrow to unfold their great plans and programs to the people Oyo State as it is being done in other states.
“We have been able to establish that some criminal elements sponsored by the state government and the Peoples’ Democratic Party who perpetrated the protests of last week are behind the ongoing protests.
“Recall that we raised an alarm over the impending planned protests before they broke out on February 5.
“We are hereby calling on the security agencies to stop these sponsored protests forthwith and clear all the blocked roads and streets in the interest of the masses of this state.
“The leaders of PDP and the state government that are orchestrating this evil protest do not mean well for the citizens.
“They are only taking undue advantage of the present situation in the country to cause more hardships for the people to cover their failure and the lacklustre performance in the state.
“We appeal to the good people of Oyo State to please remain calm and peaceful as joining the evil protests and blockade of roads by PDP agents would not solve any problem, it would rather exacerbate the already tensed situation and worsen the condition of the already disillusioned people of Oyo state who have been battling with under the PDP misgovernance in the state.
“We all know that the Presidential candidate of our party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a man of peace, an exemplary leader who is contesting for the presidency in order to make life much better and prosperous for all.
“Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had already in a release last week identified with the masses of Nigerians on the unwarranted hardhips and suffering inflicted on them by poor management of the cashless policy and the biting fuel crisis.
“It is most surprising and disheartening that the PDP led Oyo State Government has also clandestinely obtained a security clearance and approval to hold a road walk rally in all the local government areas of the state on the same day with the APC Presidential rally as advertised and published in the media.
“These PDP untoward actions are clearly targeted at disrupting the presidential rally of APC and throw the state into anarchy and chaos.
“Recall that on the 5th and 6th of February, a day before the original date set for the presidential rally, similar sponsored protests sprung up in Ibadan. The protests were immediately quelled by security agents who responded, swiftly.
“The task before us and all well-meaning Nigerians is to ensure that the democratic processes towards holding all the elections are consummated as planned.
“We are ready for the elections and it is already obvious with the massive support of the overwhelming majority of our people, we shall triumph. All our candidates will win convincingly.”
