Gunshots As Adebutu, Lawal’s Thugs Disrupt Ogun PDP Primary
There was complete pandemonium at the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State following the sporadic gunshots that rented the air.
Journalists and party delegates who had stormed the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta on Wednesday, scampered for safety as loyalists of two governorship aspirants, Oladipupo Adebutu and Jimi Lawal clashed over the delegate list to be adopted for the exercise.
The exercise which started around 5pm was disrupted following a shouting match and clash over the delegate list.
It was gathered that there was a tension over the agitation for the use of delegate list from the national.
Trouble started shortly after the PDP electoral panel, headed by Prof Akase Sorkaa had announced the mode of conduct of the exercise.
Some loyalists of Lawal, an ex-banker raised an objection, rejecting a delegate list brought from the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
This led to a shouting match between supporters of Lawal and Adebutu who also engaged one another pushing and shoving.
One of the media aides of Lawal, Austin Oniyokor, who brought some documents claiming to have been certified by the INEC, insisted that the exercise must not take place unless the said document is adopted.
The drama which lasted for over 30 minutes saw security operatives helpless while INEC officials temporarily relocated from the hall.
“This exercise cannot be conducted with a fake list. These are INEC-generated documents. These are your certified documents,” Oniyokor shouted while addressing INEC officials.
While still waiting for the party officials to find solutions to the impasse, sound of gunshots from outside the hall caused journalists and other delegates to scamper for safety.
Meanwhile, a governorship aspirant, Segun Showunmi, has been declared as the party governorship candidate by a faction.
