Explosions, gunshots, parallel elections, postponements; a chaotic 24hrs of primaries across Nigeria

It was a chaotic day in Nigerian politics as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held governorship primaries across the country.

Here is a look at some of the disturbing highlights:

Abia:

While the Emmanuel Ndukwe-led faction of Abia APC held its governorship primary in the 184 wards of the state, the other Abia APC faction led by Donatus Nwamkpa, postponed its primary due to the “inability of the national election committee members to arrive the state”.

Akwa Ibom:

One person was killed in Akwa Ibom as the governorship primary of the APC held in the state.

The victim identified as Ukeme Efanga, an APC member, was said to have been shot dead in Ifiayong, Uruan Local Government Area, during a disagreement over the distribution of election materials in the area.

The victim’s corpse, brought all the way from Uruan. was dumped at the premises of the state secretariat of the APC, along Ikot Ekpene Road.

An APC aspirant for Senate in the state, Kufre Etuk, who was present, spoke.

“It is a very unfortunate thing,” Etuk said of the killing.

“He was a very loyal and committed member of the party since the days of the Action Congress (ACN). He has never gotten anything from the party. And yet they killed him just like that. Who will now take care of his three children?

“I am waiting here to make sure the corpse is taken to the mortuary,” he said.

Etuk said election did not take place in whole of Uruan Local Government Area where he comes from.

Read also: LAGOS APC TICKET: Tinubu breaks silence, gives reasons for dumping Ambode for Sanwo-Olu

Kwara:

The PDP governorship primary in Kwara State was disrupted after a fight broke out between supporters of the two leading aspirants, former minister and APC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi and House of Representatives member, Debo Atunwa.

Mean while, the National Working Committee of the APC expelled the Kwara State executive of the party led by Ishola Balogun-Fulani. Yekini Nabena, acting APC spokesman, made this known in a statement on Sunday.

The national leadership of the party also approved direct primary for the state chapter and postponed the governorship primary earlier scheduled for Sunday.

New approved schedule of activities for Kwara APC chapter are as follows:

Mon, Oct 1st, 2018 – House of Assembly Screening

Tue, Oct 2nd, 2018 – Senate Primary

Wed, Oct 3rd, 2018 – House of Representative Primary

Thu, Oct 4th, 2018 – Gov. Primary

Fri, Oct 5th, 2018 – House of Assembly Primaries

Rivers:

Explosives went off few meters to the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Garrison junction, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Sunday.

This caused fear and panic in the area.

Security operatives stationed at the APC secretariat rushed to the spot where the dynamites exploded but the suspects who dropped them had already fled in the Toyota Camry car they drove there.

Earlier, an explosion happened at another location around 11am.

Both the APC and PDP held their governorship primaries on Sunday.

While PDP held its primary at Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt, there were parallel primaries for the APC.
Two factions loyal to Magnus Abe, senator representing Rivers South-East, and Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, held separate primaries.

Abe, who is opposed to the indirect primary approved by the leadership of the party in Abuja, mobilised his men to hold direct primary across wards in the state.

Amaechi dismissed the parallel primary conducted by the Magnus Abe faction.

He said “they are on their own”, claiming that the APC national working committee only recognises his faction.

 

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