Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State have vandalized the party’s secretariat during a protest against imposition of candidates for the upcoming local government elections in the state.
The demonstration, which began peacefully, later degenerated into violence after the enraged party members tore down APC and Nigerian flags while damaging all the properties within the premises.
In a video obtained by our correspondent, the protesters were seen chanting, “We are not doing!” as they stormed the secretariat.
The Guild gathered that the council chairman, Iliyasu Zakari, narrowly escaped harm as members rejected his bid for a second term.
The crisis stems from a selection process introduced by Governor, Umaru Bago, in which each local government was to propose three candidates, allowing him to make the final decision. However, the approach has faced widespread backlash.
A former vice-chairman of Shiroro local government, Yakubu Kuta, accused Deputy Governor Yakubu Garba of manipulating the process to install his aide as the candidate.
Reacting to the allegations, the deputy governor’s press secretary, Abdullahi Kuta, refuted the claims, stating that the candidate was chosen through a voting process.
