Panic At APC Secretariat As Political Thugs Disrupt Ondo Primaries

Panic At APC Secretariat As Political Thugs Disrupt Ondo Primaries
Security operatives evacuated party officials and election committee from secretariat
Confusion reportedly followed phone call ordering suspension of result announcement

Political thugs allegedly linked to a disqualified All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives aspirant on Saturday disrupted the collation and announcement of results from the party’s primaries at the APC state secretariat in Akure, Ondo State.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the disruption created tension within the secretariat and forced security operatives to evacuate members of the seven-man National Assembly Primary Election Committee led by Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi.

Ondo APC Chairman, Kolawole Babatunde, alongside other party executives, electoral officers, delegates and supporters, reportedly escaped through the back entrance of the secretariat as the situation became increasingly volatile.

Eyewitnesses said the suspected thugs stormed the venue during the announcement process and demanded an immediate halt to the declaration of results.

A source at the venue alleged that the disruption was orchestrated by an aspirant who had earlier been disqualified from the race.

“It was a disqualified aspirant who mobilised thugs to the venue, and the atmosphere became tense,” the source said.

“People started leaving because nobody wanted the situation to degenerate.”

According to sources, the confusion intensified after a member of the election committee reportedly received a phone call directing that the exercise should be suspended.

“I was live on Facebook when the announcement started,” another source said.

“They were about to announce the result of one of the federal constituencies when someone on the phone instructed that the process should stop.

“At first, many people thought the instruction came from the governor, but later there were claims it allegedly came from another government official in the state.”

Sources further alleged that the thugs arrived at the secretariat before members of the committee and positioned themselves around the venue ahead of the exercise.

“They mobilised youths from different wards. They were shouting and threatening to disrupt the exercise. At some point, many people no longer felt safe remaining there,” the source added.

Meanwhile, the Ondo State chapter of the APC has constituted a Primary Appeal Committee to entertain petitions from aggrieved aspirants following the conduct of the primaries.

The party’s State Secretary, Alex Kalejaye, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the committee would begin sitting at the state secretariat from today.

“The APC in Ondo State wishes to inform House of Representatives aspirants who are displeased with the primary process that the Primary Appeal Committee will be ready to entertain complaints today at the State Secretariat,” the statement read.

The party added that the committee was established to ensure fairness and justice and would continue sitting until all complaints relating to the primary process are resolved.