Violence Mars Lagos PDP Governorship Primaries

Report by Dapo Akinrefon

There was pandemonium at the Yard 158 event centre on Oregun Road, venue of the governorship primaries of the PDP in Lagos State as political thugs loyal to aspirants clashed.

Policemen shot canisters into the air to disperse the warring groups, while sniffer dogs were unleashed to bring the situation under control.

Trouble started when some supporters of one of the aspirants arrived the venue chanting solidarity slogans in favour of the aspirant.

Not long after, supporters of another aspirant arrived the scene and a confrontation ensued leading to a clash.

Guns, knives, bottles were deployed for the battle of supremacy.

Two persons including a reporter of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chioma Ugboma were injured after the melee, while two other persons were arrested by security operatives.

About 900 delegates are expected to vote at the primary to select a candidate for the party among the 6 aspirants for the position.

Late accreditation

As at 3 pm, accreditation of about 900 delegates was yet to commence for both delegates and journalists, who stood under the scorching sun for several hours.

Traffic snarl

Passers-by had a hectic time plying the Oregun road as delegates littered the road with their vehicles preventing free flow of traffic.

Ex-Lagos dep gov denied entrance

Perhaps, it was a wrong time for a former deputy governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor to have shown up at the venue as she was barred from the gate by security personnel.

Bucknor, who wore a pink gown with an embroiled Aso-Oke, was turned back at the gate and asked to get her accreditation before being allowed access into the venue.

Her frantic efforts to call party leaders did not yield any fruit as she later walked away after being left stranded for over 20 minutes.