Ikeja, the capital of Lagos, and particularly Alausa, the seat of power in the state, is on a lockdown, as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) flags of its governorship campaign today.
The campaign rally which has brought traffic flow in Ikeja to a standstill, is has been compounded by a protest rally by members of organised labour, who earlier marched from Maryland to the Government House, Alausa, to hand over a letter of protest to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for onward delivery to his colleagues in the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF).
The two events have unleashed hardships on hapless motorists, who are seen seated in their vehicles in long traffic jams.
The popular Awolowo Way, Ikeja, leading to the Lagos State Secretariat, is on a lockdown. So also is adjourning streets connecting traffic to the Awolowo Way, including Allen Avenue, Mobolaji Johnson Avenue, Governor’s Avenue among other streets in Ikeja.
A motorist, who identified himself as Ademola, and spoke with our reporter in Ikeja, said it took him two hours to drive from Akowonjo, on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, to Ikeja. This distance should ordinarily takes 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, members of the organised labour embarking on what they called “sensitisation protest march” to demand for the payment of the N30,000 minimum by the federal and 36 state governments, were prevented by armed policemen from gaining access to the Governor’s Office.
The workers lee by Solomon Adelekan, a deputy president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, president, United Labour Congress (ULC) and Abiodun Aremu, of Joint Action Forum ((JAF), were seen in hot arguments with policemen, in their effort to take their procession to the governor.
While this lasted, Governor Ambode, in a long convoy to attend the APC rally in Ikeja GRA, was sighted zooming out from another exit.
However, an aide to the governor, later surfaced to receive the letter from labour for onward delivery to his boss.
The aide said Ambode could not receive the labour protesters because there was no official communication to the governor that they were coming to the State House.
JOSHUA BASSEY
