Suspected political thugs on Tuesday attacked the Kogi State Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Alhaji Mouktar Atimah, while trying to ensure that the party’s candidate for Saturday’s governorship poll in the state Natasha Akpoti was allowed into the venue for a stakeholders’ meeting in Lokoja.
The meeting was organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 24 parties for the polls to sign a peace accord.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu; the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; Governor Yahaya Bello, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the election, were among those in attendance.
Trouble started when Akpoti was being prevented from entering the event hall of Idrinana Hotel venue for the meeting. The development resulted in an altercation between her and security officials at the entrance.
It was learnt the security officials pleaded with her to go back because the governor was already seated, a plea to which she rejected, saying she was invited for the meeting.
At this point, Atimah, who was trying to mediate, was said to have been manhandled by some thugs, who also allegedly harassed Akpoti.
The timely intervention of the police at the venue, who fired tear gas to disperse the thugs, saved the situation. Atimah, who spoke to reporters after the incident, decried the development.
However, the meeting went ahead with all participating parties calling for a violence free election.
Yakubu reiterated the commission’s readiness for the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
He said they had completed 12 out of the 14 schedules slated to be carried out before the Kogi election.
The INEC chief said, “With only four days to the election, the commission is ready. We have completed 12 out of 14 schedules for the election. All non-sensitive materials have been distributed to the 21 local government areas in Kogi while the sensitive materials are also ready but in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“The distribution of the sensitive materials will be done in the presence of the security agencies, civil society organisations, media and other critical stakeholders.”