PDP, APC Supporters Disrupt IEDPU Convention in Ilorin

PDP, APC Supporters Disrupt IEDPU Convention in Ilorin

By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

It was a confusion galore in Ilorin, Kwara state capital Tuesday when the supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) disrupted this year’s annual general meeting of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU).

The IEDPU is an umbrella body of all sons and daughters of Ilorin both at home and abroad.

The annual general meeting (AGM) of the union is used every year to raise funds for ongoing developmental projects of the union in the town.

This year’s AGM was convened at the forecourt of the palace of Emir of Ilorin, Oja-Oba, Ilorin

However, the disruption of the event according to THISDAY checks might not be unconnected with the alleged move by the governorship candidate of APC, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, to use his political slogan, ‘O To Ge’ at the event which was allegedly rejected by the supporters of PDP who were also at the event.

When the APC governorship candidate was called to the podium to announce his donation, he made an attempt to chant the slogan of his campaign organization, “Kwarans, ‘O To Ge.’

Thousands of admirers of the Senate President Bukola Saraki, however, countered him by shouting “Sai leader, Sai Bukki, Atunwa 1”.

The development however sparked uproar at the event as the two supporters engaged themselves in war of words which forced the organisers to abruptly bring the programme to an end.

All attempts by the organisers to restore normalcy and continue the programme proved abortive as members of the union and other invitees were forced to leave the venue of the event.

The incident also forced the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu- Gambari, to leave the venue of the event in anger.

The security guards had a hectic time before the emir could be ferried out of the venue of the event.

The highly disappointed IEDPU National Executive Council members led by their president, Ambassador Sheikh- Usman AbdulAziz, later went into the palace to apologise to the emir.

The IEDPU’s calendar, a major source of revenue generation for the union, could not be launched because of the unfortunate development.

It would be recalled that the Senate President launched the union’s almanac with N10 million last year.

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