The 2015 general elections seem to be getting dirtier as heavily armed soldiers believed to have been deployed by the presidency have now taken over the home of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu, in Ikoyi. Lagos.
The soldiers numbering at least 30 have since Sunday laid siege on the Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, residence of Tinubu in what his close associates fear is a ploy to threaten or even silence him ahead of the elections.
Some members of APC think it is a replay of how the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states were heavily militarised, where opposition party members were also hounded and thrown into detention for no reason.
It is also believed that the presence of the soldiers, who have never spoken about their reason for stationing at the place, have also scared visitors and politicians who daily throng the residence of the former governor of Lagos.
A statement by Tinubu’s media office said the soldiers had stormed the residence in three patrol vans and army truck stationing close to the residence since Sunday.
The soldiers were first noticed in the area at about 11.00pm on Sunday.
The soldiers first stationed about 500 meters away from Tinubu’s gate. Later they moved close to his gate as if they want to enter the premises. The stern looking soldiers were around for hours on Sunday and returned on Monday to continue their surveillance, the statement said.
“On Monday night about 10.45pm, they returned to the residence in two army vans and were there throughout the night. Some of the soldiers discharged from the van and walked back and forth in front of the house and around the house.
“On Tuesday morning, two vans from the army were stationed on both sides of the house with their missions shrouded in secrecy.
“Tinubu remains emphatically resolute and committed to the path of change in Nigeria and the liberating manifesto of the All Progressives Party.
“Tinubu is an unrelenting critic of the maladministration of the Jonathan-led PDP government. He is credited to have played the most pivotal role in the re-building of the Nigerian opposition and the formation of the APC, Nigeria’s most formidable opposition party since independence.
“The exact mission of the soldiers is not known but it fits clearly into a new pattern of intimidation of leaders of the APC and the opposition. The recent massing of soldiers for three days now at Tinubu’s gate might be part of a broader plan by the Jonathan Presidency to intimidate Tinubu and his political associates and scare him from making provocative statements or building a broad coalition against the present government as he did during the NADECO days.
“As the scaremongering by the army continues, Nigerians must come to the realisation that the military has abandoned its statutory role and have now being dragged into partisan politics.
“Nigerians and the South West should hold the Jonathan led military responsible if any harm or danger comes to Tinubu and his family. The case of the ‘Unknown Soldier’ is too recent in our memory,” the statement said, adding that Tinubu would never be intimidated by the soldiers’ presence.
He was quoted as saying he remains resolute in his advocacy and support for the rule of law.
“Jonathan’s government has through the service chiefs staged a coup against Nigerians and the Constitution and now wants to silence his critics,” Tinubu said.
“I will not be muzzled through the barrel of the gun. The guns and bullets they should use to defeat Boko Haram are now being turned against the opposition and innocent Nigerians.”
