Monday, March 18, 2013

Kogi PDP councillorship primary turns bloody •Kogi PDP elders oppose zoning

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillorship primary held at the weekend across the 21 council areas in Kogi State turned bloody, as several people sustained various degrees of injury.
In fact, PDP chairman in Yagba West Local Government Area, Mr Ayo Alabi and  secretary, Idowu Afolabi, are currently on admission in a hospital, over injury sustained from matchet cut.
Affected councils were Kabba-Bunu, Mopa Muro, Yagba East, Ogori-mangogo, Yagba West, Ajaokuta, Idah and Dekina.
The primary did not hold at all in Ijumu Local Government Area as a result of pending litigation.
Investigation, however, revealed that factionlisation within the rank and file of the PDP and the method adopted in choosing the delegates for the election might have caused the mayhem.
Reports from Yagba West council showed that it was free for all, as members decided to settle scores with machetes and other weapons.
As of last count, over  20 persons were said to have been injured, with a serving commissioner and former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state narrowly escaped being killed.
It was, however, reported that no fewer than 22 persons have been arrested in the aftermath of the incident, including the immediate past council boss, Mr Tunji Aro and one of his elder brothers.
The arrest was at the instance of  the state Police Commissioner, Mr Frank Opara.
Hired thugs were also said to have taken over Odo-Akete /Bolorunduro ward and Olle/Okeoffin ward in  Kabba-Bunu council, as election at the two wards was postponed indefinitely.
In Ogori Mangogo council, the age-long rivalry between the two communities which formed the local government came to play.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Romanus Nwaneri, when contacted, said the police would brief journalists within the week over development on the primary.
Meanwhile, Ahead of the May 4th local Council poll in Kogi State the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in Ajaokuta Local Government Area has disclosed that there is nothing like zoning arrangement.
The elders stated that Ajaokuta Local Government Area has four old wards, which was the basis for sharing political positions.
They  informed that  “Ajaokuta, Eganyi, and Ebiya old wards have all produced chairmen of the council leaving out Adogo whose turn it is to produce it.”
The elders in a statement signed by the chairman and secretary, Lamina Acheruku and Bala Ibrahim, and made available to journalists in Lokoja on Sunday explained that it was not aware that any group boycotted the last councillorship primary election in the area.
The elders stressed that though boycotting an election was the right of any individual or group, but boycotting an election can not stop the process.
According to the statement, election materials was dispatched by the party through the returning officers,beleiving  that  the issue of hijacking of materials does not arise.
“We are all waiting in our various wards. The party released the materials to the returning officers. So how can anybody hijack materials when we are in our various wards several kilometres away from Lokoja where the materials were  distributed” they queried.
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