From Rose Ejembi,
Makurdi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused each other of causing mayhem in Gbajimba, headquarters of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
While the APC accused the PDP of disrupting its campaign rally in Gbajimba on Friday, the PDP debunked the allegation, claiming that the mayhem was self-inflicted.
Addressing newsmen in Makurdi on Friday night, Secretary of the Emmanuel Jime Campaign Organisation, Prof. Eugene Aliegba, disclosed that armed militia stormed the venue of the rally and started shooting sporadically to disperse the people.
He noted that the hoodlums initially started by throwing stones but soon graduated to firing gunshots in the arena.
He recounted: “We were heading to Guma after our rally in Gwer this afternoon when we got information that armed militias had stormed the venue and started shooting at the people. We gathered that many people were injured. And we got information that the injured, who were taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), were turned back.”
Although the exact figure of casualties remained unknown as at the time of this report, an APC member from the area, Dickson Tarkigh, alleged that five of his supporters were still missing, while another one was injured on the head.
State APC chairman, Abba Yaro, urged party loyalists to remain calm and be law abiding, stressing that whether the PDP likes it or not, the party would win all its elections.
But the PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Bengba Iortyom, condemned APC for its lawlessness in the state.
It read: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms such lawlessness by the APC in the state as it falls short of the acceptable standards for the thriving of multi party democracy anywhere.”
On his own part, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and ICT) Tahav Agerzua, reiterated the commitment of his administration to peaceful elections in the state. Debunking the allegation that he masterminded the mayhem, he appealed to his supporters to exercise restraint even in the face of extreme provocation and to report any person or group who breaches the peace to law enforcement agents.
The statement read: “Attempts to link the Governor with a failed campaign effort in his home local government area to smear his name is therefore baseless and unfounded to say the least. Governor Ortom states categorically that he did not instruct or direct any person to disrupt or stop any rally.
The state Commissioner of Police, Omololu Bishi, said the police averted what would have been a clash between supporters of the APC and PDP in Gbajimba, Guma Local Government Area that fateful day.
Police statement said: “It started at about 1300hrs when PDP supporters protested that the APC were playing provocative music/songs at the Government Secondary School Gbajimba venue of the APC campaign rally.
This resulted in hurling of stones and other objects and the destruction of campaign posters by supporters of both parties. No gunshot was fired by anyone and no casualty was recorded.
“It, however, took the prompt intervention of the Officers and Men of the Command led by the Area Commander of Makurdi Area Command to disperse the crowd which was almost becoming riotous.”
Bishi, who vowed to bring those behind this incident to book, appealed to the people of the State to remain law abiding and eschew violence in their day to day activities.