Violence erupted on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State, forcing party members and supporters to flee for safety.
Disagreements among supporters of the aspirants soon degenerated to a brawl that resulted in a stampede as delegates and party faithful hurriedly left the scene.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the incident occurred before the commencement of voting for the party’s House of Representatives primary for Mushin Constituency II.
Among the leading aspirants contesting the party’s ticket were: Hon. Seye Oladejo and the incumbent lawmaker, Hon. Oluwatoyin Fayinka, seeking re-election.
Meanwhile, there was a similar melee in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State as a video clip circulating on social media has shown the APC chairman there, Bashir Jibrin Jaji, being forced into a waiting vehicle following the disputed primary election.
Some of the enraged youths claimed that no proper accreditation or counting process was carried out during the exercise, alleging that party officials suddenly announced Jalo as the winner.
The development angered many party supporters, who stormed the APC office in Rigachikun and confronted the party chairman, Daily Trust reports.
One of the party members present during the incident, Musa Salihu, said supporters had queued up for the exercise but were never counted before the result was announced.
“We lined up but nobody counted us. Suddenly, they came out and announced that Jalo had won the election. That is not democracy because no election was conducted,” he said.
Another party supporter, Musbahu Idris, also expressed disappointment over the process.
“What the party told us was to go to the collection centre for the election. People had been waiting there since 6 a.m., expecting accreditation and counting to begin. Everybody in Kwarau Ward knows our collection centre is at LEA Birnin Yero, and that was where people gathered.
“We were surprised to hear that Jalo had been declared the winner. No election took place because we were never told voting would happen at the party office,” he stated.
But a supporter of the APC chairman, Haruna Sani, defended the process, insisting that a valid primary election was conducted and that Jalo emerged as the winner.
“The youths alleged injustice, but that is not the case. We tried to prevent them from attacking the party chairman when they came to the office, but they overpowered us and assaulted him before taking him away in a vehicle,” he said.
