IGP, INEC Chairman teargassed in Lokoja – TheNigerialawyer

… Accord signing goes rowdy over alleged intimidation

Dignitaries, including the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed
Adamu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, along with National
Commissioners of the INEC were on Tuesday teargassed while
policemen were trying to put down an uproar.

The stakeholders’ meeting/signing of peace accord among
political parties and candidates, organised by the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), with senior police officers
and loads of their well-armed men on standby, was almost disrupted
when those suspected to be thugs of the ruling party, used force to
prevent the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party
(SDP), Natasha Akpoti, from entering the venue of the event.

It was a rowdy situation for close to twenty minutes at the main
entrance of the event’s venue, where the two groups (those who
wanted to bring the candidate in and those trying to prevent her
entrance) struggled to gain control of the entrance.

However, as neither of the two groups yielded ground and would
not listen to entreaties from security agents, policemen on guard
duty fired a couple of teargas cans to disperse the contending
groups, at the door. The effect of the teargas spread into the
event’s hall, affecting all occupants, including the IGP, who was
seen covering his nose.

However, while the fight was on and the whole place was in
commotion, the INEC continued with the business of conducting the
peace accord signing, to which 17 political parties, including the
ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition
parties, led by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Trying to give a background to the rowdiness, the spokesman to
the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, explained that Akpoti
arrived late to the event, as it was well into its conduct when the
fight outside the door started.

He however condemned the attack on the candidate, whose
candidacy was recently affirmed by a court.

“We are inside the hall and wouldn’t know what is going on
outside. One thing is sure: she did not arrive in good time as at
the time the event started, but that is not enough reason for
anybody to prevent her from coming inside. She has a right to take
her place inside the hall.

“We have heard that she is outside and efforts are currently
being made to bring her inside the hall. We need her to sign the
Peace Accord, the process of which is currently on.

“We asked the Legal Officer of our Kogi State Office to go
outside the hall and look for Natasha Akpoti, but he came back and
reported that he searched the entire premises but could neither
locate her nor her entourage.

“Now, the representative of the SDP inside the hall was asked to
endorse the Peace Accord, but he refused,” Oyekanmi explained.

Meanwhile, candidates of opposition political parties have
raised the alarm over what they described as continued intimidation
and oppression of their chieftains and members.

The governorship candidate of the PDP, Engr. Musa Wada, while
speaking at the event demanded that the Inspector-General of Police
to intervene in the plight of the opposition in Kogi state, saying
their members are afraid for their lives.