Lagos APC Primaries: Five Killed As Violence, Selective Voting Mar Primary Elections
POLITICS DIGEST – After weeks of rigorous and tension soaked political campaigns to elect chairmen and councillors into the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 LCDAs across the state, primary elections which started behind the scheduled time of 9 am across all the LGAs was characterized by a violent attack, killings, thuggery and selective voting.
At Surulere Local Government voting was disrupted by suspected cultists and thugs who took control of all the nine wards across the local government areas killing five members of the party and wielding cutlasses and guns and disrupting the voting process.
According to a voter who spoke to Sunday Tribune at the Ward E, where two people were killed, armed thugs led by a Chieftain of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Sunday Aransiola who ordered all voters present to vacate the premises.
He said, “This is cruel. Two persons had been killed so far whereas every member has his/her preferred candidate to vote for. The exercise was peaceful but the event took a violent turn when armed thugs invaded the venue wielding guns and cutlasses and chasing us out of the premises. They killed two people in the process. We left the premises in order not to get hurt.
They have seen the atmosphere as not being favourable to their preferred aspirants, Sulaimon Yusuf and other Councilors, so they felt once the exercise is disrupted; they will have their way to manipulate the process.
We know ourselves but I can tell you that the faces I see around are not APC members. They took over the premises when they had chased away genuine members. This has a hand of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila in it. We know he is behind the disruption in the voting exercise because he had seen that his candidate is not favoured and that is why they rented people to cast their vote for their aspirants.”
When contacted to confirm the death of the two persons killed in the Surulere violent clash, the Spokesman of the State police command, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi said he is yet to be briefed on the clash.
He said, “I have contacted the DPO of the area. I am yet to be briefed. I will get across to you once I have been briefed.”
In Ejigbo LCDA, the atmosphere was calm and peaceful but the voting exercise didn’t commence until 12:20 pm when electoral officers arrived at the Ejigbo Mini Station venue of the primary election.
The faces of stern-looking and armed wielding thugs lurking around the venue sparked off fear in the large number of members who for several hours had been seated and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the electoral officers.
Reacting to the late arrival of the presiding officers, a Chairmanship aspirant, Hon Peter Ajayi alleged they left the State party Secretariat around 8 am and got to the residence of the Ward Chairman at 8:25 where they were until 1 pm when they had perfected all their plans to rig the primaries in favour of the incumbent Chairman.
“I have taken time out to visit the Wards. I see joy and eagerness for a change in the eyes of the people. They are ready to confront the power that is for a change. As I speak to you (this was around 12:54 pm), they have not started the process.
The electoral and presiding officers left the party State Secretariat this morning around 8 am and they got to Ejigbo around 8:25 am but up till now, they are at the residence of the LGA Chairman, Alhaji Kasumu doing what? People are seated there without the officers at hand to kick-start the voting process.
They have been intimidating my supporters using the police. They are there at the Ejigbo Police station. They have been disenfranchised,” Ajayi said.
In Ijede LCDA, the exercise was no different as it was characterized with thuggery and selective voting as members perceived to be supporters of other aspirants were locked out of the voting venues across the LCDA.
Speaking with Tribune Online, one of the aspirants, Hon. Oluwatosin Onamade alleged that his supporters were disenfranchised from voting at the primary by armed thugs loyal to the incumbent Chairman of Ijede LCDA, Alhaji Fatiu Jimoh Salisu.
He said, “The incumbent Chairman, Alhaji Fatiu Salisu has been disqualified. The news is everywhere but I was surprised to see his name on the ballot paper. Three aspirants were screened by the party but it turned four aspirants overnight. How did the name of his Vice-Chairman get to the list? The police are rigging the election for him.
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Hon Fatiu has been disqualified from contesting and his vice-chairman, Hon Tunrayo Gbadebo wasn’t in the race. How her name got on the list remains a mystery? They have armed thug lurking around the venue of the primary while our members are locked out of the venue. The Presiding Officers only allow supporters of the incumbent to vote. They are engaging in selective voting thereby disenfranchising other members.”
When contacted to confirm the alleged disqualification of Alhaji Fatiu Salisu, State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Hon Tunde Balogun said, “I am on the field monitoring the primaries. I won’t be able to comment on the matter until tomorrow.”
In Egbeda Akowonjo under Alimosho Local Government, the primary elections were marred with crisis as supporters of different aspirants engage in a fierce battle.
Tribune Online gathered that trouble broke out at a polling booth located at the Millennium Public School on Karimu Laka Street when they got wind that a Chairmanship aspirant, Hon. Akin Ibrahim Johnson is attempting to rig the primary election in his favour.
A member narrated how what started as a peaceful election turned violent. “We were all assembled outside the school waiting to cast our votes when information reached us that some people were already thumb printing for an unpopular candidate.”
The information which created panic forced the supporters of the Hon. Akin Johnson who were armed with machetes, axes and other dangerous weapons to scale the fence to confront those thumb printing in the polling booth.
At this juncture, while many people took to their heels to avoid being hurt, the officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) at the booth were whisked away to an unknown destination.
It was the same story at the polling booth inside the Shasha Community high School at Bammeke where the supporters of the two major aspirants engaged in an open confrontation over accusations and counter-accusations of attempted rigging.
While some of the supporters were seen in possession of dangerous weapons, the election was not allowed to hold following the tense mood. The instant presence of the men of police from Afonka Area prevented any serious skirmishes.”
In Ward A in Isale Oja area of Agege, voting started around 10:30 am with the incumbent Chairman, Comrade Ganiyu Egunjobi casting his vote at St. Saviour Primary School, Agege at around 11:50 am.
Speaking with newsmen on the turnout of voters shortly after casting his vote, Egunjobi said, “You can see the massive turnout of my supporters. This is APC, we are all one family. I am optimistic about winning this election.”
As of 1.00 pm on Saturday, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were still awaiting officials of the party and that of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission that would conduct primaries election for them to pick party candidates for the forthcoming local government chairmanship and councillorship elections in the state.
At Ijaiye Ojokoro Senior High School, Ijaiye, which served as a major venue of the primaries under Ijaiye- Ojokoro Local Council Development Area, accreditations were still ongoing as of 1.00 pm.
It was gathered that only the supporters of a particular aspirant (name withheld) were those being accredited officially by the party.
The source explained that the supporters of other aspirants had already been told not to bother coming for primaries except they had changed their minds to go along with the party favourite.
The sources concluded that they were gathered at the centre as a way of fulfilling all righteousness.
“If we don’t do this,” one of the sources said, “people will say APC did not do primaries to pick their candidates for the election and we don’t want that.”
However, many of the party members and supporters remained at the venue as of 1.00pm. They said they would wait as the elected officials would still come.
Some were also seen writing names in a sheet of papers while some were sharing soft drinks and sausage rolls to people they know as they were looking at faces before giving them.
Some of them told Tribune Online, who monitored the exercise at the centre that a chairmanship aspirant sponsored the soft meal for his supporters.
They said the person shared the sausage and soft drinks because they had been around and stayed for up to three hours or more.
The government security agents comprising the police officers and officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were also on the ground to curtail possible break down of law and order.
In Itire-Ikate LCDA, armed thugs suspected to be loyal to the incumbent Chairman of Itire-Ikate Local Development Area, Mrs Akinyemi Obe, allegedly snatched ballot boxes meant for the primary election in the council area.
Tribune Online gathered that the suspected thugs also stole the phones of the Returning Officer for the LCDA, Lateef Ibirogba, a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state.
The violent situation disrupted the primary election process in the council as Ibirogba has returned to the Acme Road Secretariat of the party to report to the party leadership.
