Violence erupted midway into the primary
election of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) to elect chairmanship candidates for the
July 22 council polls in Lagos State on
Saturday, ending the event abruptly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that some aggrieved party supporters
engaged one another in a free-for-all midway
into the election, smashing ballot boxes over
allegations of imposition of candidates at the
election.
Scores of delegates and others present at the
Teslim Balogun Stadium venue fled in
different directions as a result of the fracas,
even as some were injured.
The Chairman of the Elections Committee,
Sen Tokunbo Afikuyomi , was also attacked,
with his top taken off by angry supporters
who accused him of impartiality as he
scampered to safety.
Security officials later forced him out the grip
of the angry youths and whisked him away.
NAN reports trouble started when some party
members in Surulere and Lagos Mainland
openly protested against the names of
candidates being read out by Afikuyomi for
endorsement as consensus candidates.
They alleged that the party leadership was
foisting candidates on them and said the
decision of the leadership to approve
consensus candidates in 18 councils was
wrong.
The aggrieved members initially vented their
anger through protests, but it later
degenerated into fracas between supporters of
selected candidates and those who opposed
them.
A party faithful, Mr Wale Tokunbo, had told
NAN shortly before the violence broke out
that the substitution of Mr Tajudeen Ajide for
the Surulere Local Government Area
Chairmanship for another candidate was
unjust.
“The removal of Ajide’s name for the name of
somebody we don’t know is not acceptable to
us.
“If we talk about democracy, we should be
able to practise it. This primary is a sham;
we would resist it ,” he said.
Another party faithful in Mainland Local
Government who pleaded anonymity had told
NAN that party members were surprised at
the mention of Yaba Local Government as
one of the areas with a consensus candidate
at the primary.
He said there were aspirants contesting for
the post in the area and that nobody knew of
the consensus candidate until they got to the
venue.
“What consensus candidates are they talking
about? We are just knowing that Yaba is one
of them now. This is wrong ,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the
party, Mr Henry Ajomale , had urged the
delegates and other supporters not to be
violent.
“I welcome you all to this election and I urge
you all conduct yourselves in a peaceful
manner.
“We have the information that some people
are here to cause trouble. We shouldn’t allow
them because they are saboteurs, “he said.
NAN reports that the names of Mr Toba Oke
(Ifako Ijaiye) and Mr Kamal Bashua (Lagos
Island East) were among the few candidates
out of the 57 endorsed at the primary before
violence broke out
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election of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) to elect chairmanship candidates for the
July 22 council polls in Lagos State on
Saturday, ending the event abruptly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that some aggrieved party supporters
engaged one another in a free-for-all midway
into the election, smashing ballot boxes over
allegations of imposition of candidates at the
election.
Scores of delegates and others present at the
Teslim Balogun Stadium venue fled in
different directions as a result of the fracas,
even as some were injured.
The Chairman of the Elections Committee,
Sen Tokunbo Afikuyomi , was also attacked,
with his top taken off by angry supporters
who accused him of impartiality as he
scampered to safety.
Security officials later forced him out the grip
of the angry youths and whisked him away.
NAN reports trouble started when some party
members in Surulere and Lagos Mainland
openly protested against the names of
candidates being read out by Afikuyomi for
endorsement as consensus candidates.
They alleged that the party leadership was
foisting candidates on them and said the
decision of the leadership to approve
consensus candidates in 18 councils was
wrong.
The aggrieved members initially vented their
anger through protests, but it later
degenerated into fracas between supporters of
selected candidates and those who opposed
them.
A party faithful, Mr Wale Tokunbo, had told
NAN shortly before the violence broke out
that the substitution of Mr Tajudeen Ajide for
the Surulere Local Government Area
Chairmanship for another candidate was
unjust.
“The removal of Ajide’s name for the name of
somebody we don’t know is not acceptable to
us.
“If we talk about democracy, we should be
able to practise it. This primary is a sham;
we would resist it ,” he said.
Another party faithful in Mainland Local
Government who pleaded anonymity had told
NAN that party members were surprised at
the mention of Yaba Local Government as
one of the areas with a consensus candidate
at the primary.
He said there were aspirants contesting for
the post in the area and that nobody knew of
the consensus candidate until they got to the
venue.
“What consensus candidates are they talking
about? We are just knowing that Yaba is one
of them now. This is wrong ,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the
party, Mr Henry Ajomale , had urged the
delegates and other supporters not to be
violent.
“I welcome you all to this election and I urge
you all conduct yourselves in a peaceful
manner.
“We have the information that some people
are here to cause trouble. We shouldn’t allow
them because they are saboteurs, “he said.
NAN reports that the names of Mr Toba Oke
(Ifako Ijaiye) and Mr Kamal Bashua (Lagos
Island East) were among the few candidates
out of the 57 endorsed at the primary before
violence broke out
facebook.com/hitznetworks
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