The conduct the local government election in Kogi State slated for May 4, got underway at the weekend with the councillorship primaries of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held across the 21 local councils. The primaries however turned violent in some councils between factions who could not agree on the modalities for the conduct of the elections.
It was a free for all in Yagba West Council as aggrieved members opted to settle scores with machetes and other dangerous weapons. No fewer than 20 persons were injured, with the party chairman, Mr Ayo Alabi allegedly hospitalized as a result of head injury sustained from matchet cut.
No fewer than 22 persons are said to have been arrested in the aftermaths, including the immediate past Liaison Officer 1 for Yagba West Council, Mr Tunji Aro. His arrest alongside his elderly brother whose name was given as Godwin Aro was reportedly ordered by the Police Commissioner, Mr Hillary Opara. 21 others were reportedly picked from their homes as the search for culprits was said to have continued till Sunday morning.
Contentions over the PDP guidelines for the primaries and reactions to the outcome of the elections were said to be responsible for the violence. It was gathered that the guidelines released by the state chapter of the party ahead of the primaries indicated that in the case of councillorship, the elections shall be by card carriers at the ward levels unless as otherwise agreed by consensus in which case the lot to elect councillorship candidates fall solely on members of the ward executive committee.
A PDP chairmanship aspirant in Yagba East Council, Mr FG Ibrahim observed that although the election was generally peaceful in the council, he protested the use of executives only to conduct the election in Ward 01 (Ife Olukotun) as against card carrier, since, according to him, majority voted for card carrier.
“The exercise was largely peaceful although there were minor interruptions, like in Ward 01 where the ward agreed on card carrier but some people insisted on executives only. As far as I am concerned the election in that ward is inconclusive”, he said.
The scenario is different in Yagba West though where thugs elected to unleash violent attack on the PDP secretariat. In alleged attempt to disrupt the primaries having not gone in their favour, thugs said to be loyal to a faction, in their hundreds, invaded the PDP secretariat at Odo Ere, Yagba West Council headquarters, overpowered the police detachment deployed to the precinct of the party office.
They seized the local government party chairman, Mr Ayo Alabi and secretary, Idowu Afolabi who were given the beatings of their lives. It took extra efforts by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Odo Ere, who mobilized more men from neighbouring Egbe Police station to rescue the party officials from the miscreants. The blood soaked Alabi, the party chairman, narrating his ordeal to reporters at the Odo Ere Divisional Police Headquarters attributed his “narrow escape from death” to divine intervention. “How I managed to escape death in the hands of the thugs, I don’t know. My clothes were torn to shreds down to my pant. More than 20 of them were throwing punches, stones and everything at me all at the same time; I was completely unaided. One of them was carrying a huge stone, which if it had landed on my head I would have been killed instantly. But somehow as he approached me, he had a rethink. I believe they must have been instructed to kill me. What is politics turning into in Nigeria?”
His secretary was said to have been placed in the intensive care unit of the cottage hospital, Odo Ere and could not be reached.
Nearby Odo Eri, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Olufemi Bolarin was said to have escaped unhurt, after he was ambushed by factional youths. It took several gun shots fired by his police orderly to gain passage. While a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mrs Justina Abanida, also ambushed, had the screen of her Hilux van smashed.
An officer of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) office in Odo Ere told our reporter that the arrested persons have been transferred to Lokoja Police Command.
