The current face-off between President Olu-segun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar was further stoked yesterday by anti-Atiku protesters who numbering about 400 barricaded the gate and prevented the number two citizen from entering the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Air-port, Lagos.
In a bid to avoid bloody confrontation with the protesters, who are believed to be pro-third term elements, security men attached to the Vice President abandoned the main gate of the lounge and made Atiku to pass through the Air Force Base adjacent the Presidential Lounge.
Also earlier yesterday, another group of protesters believed to be members of the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) massed at the Osborne Road Junction leading to the Ikoyi Crescent official residence of the Vice President to stage a demonstration against Atiku whom they called upon to resign for openly antagonising his boss, President Olusegun Oba-sanjo.
President Obasanjo on hearing of the incident yesterday morning however expressed concern at the development and called Atiku on phone to get a full account of the event.
A personal aide to Atiku, Shehu Garba however told THISDAY that though they believe the events were organised to embarrass the Vice President but the man remains undaunted.
As early as about 8.25am, scores of protesters had made their way, unmolested into the airport conveyed in popular Lagos commuter buses, otherwise known as Molue, in spite of the ban on such vehicles within the airport environment.
The molues, numbering about six, brought the protesters into the parking lot outside the main park of the lounge.
As soon as they disembarked, the protesters who were already armed with placards and chanting derogatory songs against Atiku went straight for the main gate in an attempt to gain entry into the Presidential Lounge where a Presidential Gulfstream 11 aircraft with registration number 5N-FGP was parked.
Atiku had arrived Lagos Friday evening on a private visit and was on his way back to Abuja yesterday. He actually arrived the airport around 10.45am when the protests began.
However, the attempt by the protesters to gain entry into the Presidential Lounge was rebuffed by Air Force security personnel at the gate and some anti-riot policemen.
When it was apparent that they could not gain access into the main Lounge, the protesters formed a wall around the iron gate into the lounge and blocked the access road leading into the area, displaying their placards and describing the Vice President in uncomplimentary words.
While this lasted, a pocket of policemen kept watch to avoid a breach of the peace. At about 11.21am when some trucks carrying mobile policemen made their way into the road leading into the Lounge, the prostesing crowd roared in anger over policemen’s presence. While some of them scampered for safety, the daring ones barricaded the road.
The police vehicles could not go beyond that point as the mobile policemen disembarked while the trucks turned back.
Intermittently, a police helicopter hovered around the area.
While the protesters formed a perimeter wall around the main gate of the Lounge, a helicopter later flew over from the airside of 18L runway which attracted the attention of the protesters.
It was at that point that the number two man was smuggled into the Lounge through the Nigeria Air Force gate in company of the Adamawa State Governor, Boni Haruna.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adebayo and other senior police officers were also around. Atiku was dressed in a white flowing gown with a blue cap to match.
As soon as the protesters sighted the VeePee, they went wild, raining abuses and chanting songs in condemnation of his action, which they said, was anti-democratic.
Before he boarded the plane, the Vice President fielded questions from newsmen.
Reminded that the protesters had been making uncomplimentary remarks over his decision to run for the 2007 Presidency, Atiku merely retorted: “This is democracy now!”
On whether the protests would deter him from pursuing his ambition, he said: “No, actually not”.
Reacting to another question on whether the situation in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the suppression of opposition by the government is healthy for democracy, Atiku said, “actually not; we need internal democracy”.
On why he had maintained sealed lips for quite a long time, the Vice President said: “don’t worry, when I will speak I will invite you”.
The Vice President who also said there was no political logjam in the country, noted that he could not proffer any solution for the country to move forward, adding: “We are moving forward.”
Atiku also stated that there was no cause for alarm over the harrassment and intimidation of his loyalists, before boarding the plane at about 11.45 am.
As soon as he made his way into the plane, he waved to the protesters who became frenzied, shouting “ole, ole, ole� ( meaning thief). As the aircraft taxied to the runway for take off, the protesters went wild with curses and unsavoury comments.
Among the protesters was a former presenter of an NTA programme, “Welcome Aboard”, Mr. Femi Robinson, who said Atiku should be stripped of the immunity he enjoys and tried for alleged offences.
The publicity Secretary of PDP, Lagos State, Mr. Muyiwa Collins told THISDAY that the protesters were not hooligans but responsible men and women who came to give their support to Obasanjo.
According to him, events of last few days where the Vice President declared his opposition to Obasanjo’s programmes was unhealthy.
Earlier yesterday, a group of placard-wielding protesters who massed around the portion of Osborne road that leads to the Ikoyi Crescent, Lagos residence of the Vice President were changing anti-Atiku slogans and pro-Obasanjo songs in the full glare of policemen who hurriedly gathered at the spot to maintain peace and order. They were however, prevented from proceeding towards the VP’s home by the police who barricaded a portion of the street.
Some of the placards carried messages like: ‘Atiku is a traitor,’ ‘Obasanjo carry go,’ and ‘Atiku must go’. The protesters were bolstered by the presence of some prominent members of the PDP in Lagos State, including a House of Representatives member, Hon. Tunde Salau, among others, who also joined in the protest. The exercise caused a brief traffic jam on the road although there was no incident.
Presidential spokeswoman, Mrs. Remi Oyo, however told THISDAY last night that President Obasanjo was unhappy about the incident and had called Atiku to enquire about his welfare.
She said the Vice President assured Obasanjo that the protests was a mere demonstration and that at no time was his life in danger while the protests was on. She added that Atiku reportedly told Obasanjo that the protesters never hurled any missile at him and that he even waived to them while boarding the plane that took him away from the airport.
Atiku’s aide, Garba while reacting to the incidents said “Quite contrary to the expectation of the events’ organisers, the Vice President was not at all embarrassed by what had happened. Instead, he was amused by it all. He freely waved at them. His wish was that all those opposed to third term will similarly be allowed the freedom to openly express their disagreement.
“One inescapable conclusion we drew from the incidents was involvement of PDP power-house,” he said.
Vice President Atiku and his principal, Obasanjo have been involved in political disagreement over the issue of succession in the coming elections. Early last year, the VeePee had in a series of newspaper interviews said Obasanjo swore to him that he will quit office in 2007 but that he suspected that there was an undemocratic political agenda being nursed at the presidency.
Obasanjo however refuted his deputy’s claim. He said he never swore to any individual as there was no basis for it. He also accused Atiku of disloyalty.
The Vice President went on to publicly criticise the President and the leadership of the PDP in series of speeches he gave at some functions.
The disagreement between the two men further came into the open last Wednesday when Atiku attended a meeting of the group opposed to the plan to elongate the tenure of President Obasanjo which held at the Niger Government Liaison Office in Abuja where he declared that he was ready to bear the consequences of his opposition to Obasanjo’s third term bid.
While using the occasion to rally members of the National Assembly against the third term plan, Atiku said: “I will give you all the support that you need. I will be with you.”
While reacting to the Veepee’s statement, the Presidency in a statement by Obasanjo’s special assistant on public communication, Femi Fani-Kayode called on the Vice President to resign since he no longer believed in the administration.
Also on Friday, Atiku’s aide, Garba issued a statement in which he declared his boss� intention to contest the 2007 presidential election and declared as part of his manifesto that he will “modify many of the reform programmes of the present administration after consulting widely with the stakeholders.”
Apr92006