2019: Group Storms Aso Villa, Demands Buhari’s Re-election
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Hundreds of placard-carrying pro-Buhari demonstrators on Thursday stormed Aso Villa Abuja and sang praises of ailing President Muhammadu Buhari. The protesters said there was no cause for alarm over the absence of the president as he transferred power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo before embarking on medical vacation to London on May 7, 2017.
In a bid to stave off wave of anti-Buhari sentiments as shown by scores of protesters, led by popular artiste Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, the pro-Buhari group was accompanied to the Aso Villa by a detachment of policemen and other security personnel.
To demonstrate their confidence on Buhari, the demonstrators burst into chants of ‘four more years.’ ‘We reposed confidence on President Buhari.’
They accused the anti-Buhari protesters as agents of corruption, just as they claim that there was no reason to clamour for Buhari’s return because there was no vacuum in governance.
The pro-Buhari protest is coming on the heels of a protest embarked by a Civil Society coalition led by Charly Boy, which commenced on Monday. Organized under the auspices of ‘Our- Mumu-Don-Do, the anti-Buhari group had demanded the president resumes office or resigns his position.
Dozens of protesters had on Monday attempted to march to the Aso Villa with banners urging that the 74-year-old president return from his medical vacation. However, the protesters were tear gassed, while Charly Boy collapsed after inhaling tear gas fired by the police. A journalist from Silverbird, who was covering the protest, was manhandled by a police sergeant.
Some of the banners carried by the anti-Buhari’s protesters included, among others: ‘Resume or resign, Nigerians say enough is enough,’ one said, with others stating: ‘If president Buhari cannot return to Nigeria after 90 days, then he should resign and go home’, and ‘Buhari, where are you? Nigerians want full disclosure. What is wrong with our president?’
