The All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Ward 1 at Stella Maris College, Okitipupa, for the Ondo State Governorship election scheduled for November 16 was marred by violence between rival supporters of two aspirants.
The incident caused panic among accredited party members who had gathered to participate in the candidate selection process.
According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the accreditation and election process had not commenced when the violence broke out, leading to chaos as voters scrambled for safety.
Witnesses recounted that the violence erupted after an agent of one of the aspirants allegedly snatched the validation and accreditation papers and fled the venue in a car.
“One of the agents came here, snatched the validation and accreditation papers and fled the venue in his car.
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They chased him, but could not catch him. This caused the violence,” an accredited voter, who preferred anonymity, told NAN.
Despite the presence of security agents at the ward, they were unable to contain the situation, resulting in everyone fleeing the scene to avoid further escalation of the violence.
The incident highlights the growing tensions and rivalries within the APC ahead of the governorship election in Ondo State.
It also underscores the need for enhanced security measures and peaceful conduct during party primaries to ensure a transparent, credible, and violence-free electoral process.
