A counter rally organised to drum up support for President Umaru Yar’Adua by the National Alliance of Democracy ended in disarray on Tuesday as youths who took part in it went wild when the money promised them was not forthcoming.

The youths, most of whom were believed to be University of Abuja students, had poured into the National Assembly at about 1pm chanting songs in support of Yar’Adua.

The protesters, who came under the umbrella of the National Alliance of Democracy Defenders, accused Soyinka and the earlier protesters of selfishness and egocentrism.

Delivering a speech on behalf of the group, Mr. O.N. Kelvin said the health of the President should not constitute a means by which some Nigerians to deceive other innocent Nigerians.

He said, “The health of our President is not a thing that has not happened before in the history of leadership. History has it that an American President was so sick for a period of six months and he was not asked to resign by Americans.

“But they supported him emotionally praying for his recovery. Why must our President’s case be different? Meanwhile, the sickness that befell our President was not self-inflicted or is it a sickness that has to do with morality. Why must we not pay for this man God appointed to be our President?”

He also said that there was evidence that the President was recovering speedily, adding that he spoke on the BBC on Tuesday morning. He argued that the President also spoke with the President of the Senate, David Mark and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan on the phone.

“All we owe our President is prayers and not mockery. Nobody is above sickness, even some citizens that have commented on his health during the early days of his sickness have long died and buried. Only God has the final say,” he said.

The protesters waited to see any of the presiding officers, but not appeared to honour their presence.

As the youths tarried under the sun, complaints and murmurings soon ensued, as they called for compensations for their participation.

The boys became restive and their respective leaders laboured hard to explain the issues to them.

One of them said that the leaders did not take a list of those they invited for the rally, arguing that the number might overwhelm the money that would be made available at the end of the day.

George, a student of UNIABUJA, who spoke to our correspondent, said they were not told that they were coming for a pro-Yar’Adua rally.

“What they told us was that we are coming to protest the listing of Nigeria as a ‘security risk state’ but when we got here, I saw that it was a different thing.

“For me the country is not going on well. If he is alive fine and good, but for me, I don’t really care about that,” he said.

Our correspondent also gathered that although buses were provided to bring the protesters to the venue, there were no indications that the buses were available as at press time to convey them.

One of the protesters said, “They promised that they were going to take us back, we are waiting to see whether they will fulfil their promise, because for me, I did not prepare in terms of finance, to transport myself back to school.”

solajacobs:

A counter rally organised to drum up support for President Umaru Yar’Adua by the National Alliance of Democracy ended in disarray on Tuesday as youths who took part in it went wild when the money promised them was not forthcoming.

lwkmd where is the link please ? Rotf
they didn't even have the decency to pay their goons lmao . Who transported those poor boys back to school then ?

That O N Kevin should be stoned, can somebody give me his address and details pls.