Supporters of James Faleke and Yahaya Bello, late Prince Abubakar Audu’s running mate and runner up respectively, on Monday clashed at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Abuja.
Both men are in contention over who will stand on the platform of the APC for the Kogi gubernatorial race on Saturday.
It will be recalled that the vacuum for the party’s candidate was left open when Audu died on November 22 on the day results of the election in the state were declared inconclusive.
Bello’s supporters arrived at the party’s secretariat at 11.30 a.m. chanting “Sai Yahaya Bello.”
Faleke’s supporters arrived one hour later and both groups started to throw stones and sticks at each other before police reinforcement came.
The police was able to push back the two groups to opposite sides of the street where some were still chanting solidarity songs.
Stones and sticks used during the fracas littered the street after of the protest.
Windows of many cars were smashed, including that of a reporter with African Independent Television covering APC, Mr Anoyoyo Oghiavboghe.
Some National Working Committee (NWC) members and leaders of APC, including Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Senator Dino Melaye were holding emergency meeting at the secretariat.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received the request by APC to replace the late Abubakar Audu’s name with that of Bello for the December 5 supplementary governorship election.
INEC Deputy Director, Publicity, Mr Nick Dazang, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja.
Dazang, however, did not disclose when the commission received the request.
“They have sent the name of their replacement candidate, the second runner-up in their primaries, that is Yahaya Bello, to the commission,’’ Dazang said.
The deputy director also said that the commission was much ready to conduct both Kogi Supplementary and Bayelsa elections scheduled for Saturday.
“The commission is committed to conduct the two elections.
‘’That is why in respect of Kogi, in spite of what happened, we came out with public notice which invites the APC to submit its replacement candidate for the election,’’ he said.
Dazang said that as part of the commission’s preparation for the Bayelsa poll, INEC would be holding stakeholders’ forum in the state on Tuesday.
The deputy director added that INEC had concluded the distribution of non-sensitive materials for the Bayelsa poll.
He also said that the commission would be going to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to collect sensitive materials for onward distribution for the Bayelsa election on Wednesday.
“After the stakeholders’ forum, the commission will immediately on Wednesday commence the distribution of sensitive materials in the state.
“We are inviting the representatives of political parties, their agents, observers, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media among others, to witness the distribution of sensitive materials,“ he said.
He said that the commission would deploy its officers at National commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners level from neighbouring states to monitor the Bayelsa election.
“You will agree with me that we don’t take any election for granted, no matter how small it is,’’ he said.
