One killed as gunmen disrupt Kogi PDP guber primary

It has been confirmed that at least one person was killed during the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial primary election in the shooting that took place in the early hours of Wednesday.

An eye witness at the venue gave the name of the victim as Abdulahi Loki Ibrahim from Koto-karfe Local Government Area of the state.

But the party’s publicity secretary, Bode Ogunmola who confirmed the killing, however could not ascertain if the victim was a delegate, adding that he had since been buried according to Islamic rites.

When our correspondent contacted the state police command, the PPRO, DSP William Ayah said the command had no report of any shooting.

In a related development, Governor Yahaya Bello has condemned in strong terms the invasion of the PDP primary election venue in the early hours of Wednesday by gunmen.

According to a press statement made available to journalists in Lokoja and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Muhammed Onogwu, Bello expressed his disappointment with the unholy development, saying that such dastardly acts were an affront to security of lives and property which he said are the primary achievements of his administration, adding that it is one thing the people of Kogi have come to take for granted in recent times.

Governor Bello however, berated the opposition PDP for failing to keep the law, especially as the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) which is the governor’s party had demonstrated less than a week ago that such events could hold without unsavory incidents of any kind.

He also said that details of the shooting were still sketchy but noted that the gunfire incident may not be unconnected with the usual do-or-die politics of some of the opposition aspirants whose desperation to win at all costs has led to such violence and crises in the state, including this one.

The governor equally directed the security agencies to get to the roots of the matter immediately, declaring that it portended grave danger to the state’s gubernatorial elections scheduled for November 16, as he promised to update the public as soon as he has been fully briefed by the law enforcement agencies.

Bello has equally commiserated with the injured delegates and the families of an alleged dead victim as he assured the people of Kogi State that this is one incident which will not be swept under the carpet no matter the status of those involved.