Hell was let loose recently at the venue of the election scheduled to bring in new executives expected to run the affairs of the Oyo State chapter of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) at the National Museums, Aleshinloye, Ibadan.
The election which was marred with serious crisis following controversies over the use of national identity card or the blue card known as membership card to vote.
The two governorship election was between Evangelist Taiwo Omotunde and Pastor Remi Aderoju who was a former secretary of the association.
The members of the various associations under PMAN were divided into two factions, as they engaged in serious fiasco that led to the serious beating-up of some members.
Trouble started after the dissolution of Alhaji Tajudeen Abiodun popularly known as Taju System-led executive council by the national General Secretary, Bonnyface Itodo aka Aitabonny. The moment he announced the indefinite postponement of the election following series of arguments and protests from members and supporters of the two candidates over the proper voting card.
Some members of the association were seen exchanging blows while others abused representatives of the association for their failure to organise a successful election.
It was the intervention of the police and other security agents at the scene of the crisis that helped put the situation under control.
While speaking on the development, the National General Secretary of the association, Bonnyface Itodo described the development as very unfortunate adding that the national body would step into the matter with a view to finding a lasting solution to the issue.
According to him, the national body of the association would meet with the two candidates on the matter and in no time appoint a caretaker Governor to oversee the affairs of the association pending when another election would be organised.
Also speaking, the immediate past chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Abiodun Ayinla akaTaju system expressed dissatisfaction over the development, describing the crisis as a bad omen for the association.
He wondered why such bad conduct would be recorded by PMAN, which is the umbrella body of all musicians in the state.
“This is very unfortunate, I didn’t expect this to happen to this association. I intended to organise a free and fair election and hand over to the next governor, but now, I am totally confused”.
Commenting on the development, Evangelist Taiwo Omotunde described the crisis as a great disappointment to musicians who are tired of dealing with ineffective leaders of the association in the state.
“What happened at the Oyo PMAN election is very unfortunate and a lost opportunity with which the association would have moved forward, this has given us a bad name in the state,” he said.
According to him, the plan of Pastor Remi Aderoju was to rig himself into office with the insistence of using the national identity card as against the proposal to the electoral body.
“The idea of using the national Identity card was a premeditated action, the blue card is what the musicians have in the state. We agreed to use the blue card but he insisted on the national Identity card.”
Responding to the matter, Pastor Aderoju said he disagreed to use the blue card because the national body said members should use the national identity card to vote adding that the blue card was the association’s monthly card.
Pastor Aderoju said the people that were shouting at the venue of the election are members of juju musicians’ association, adding that he refused to use the blue card which is also membership subscription card because there was conspiracy to steal votes.
“I disagreed on the use of the blue card – and the reason was that at the initial stage, we agreed to use our national ID card. When our national officers came, there was an uproar and I was the one that calmed them down. I want to blame the national headquarters for what happened today,” he disclosed.
Packaged by Ojo Peter
