Ekiti: Tension as thugs smash ballot boxes at APC guber primary; Fayemi dares party

The guber primary election of the APC holding at the Oluyemo Kayode Stadium, Ado Ekiti, since Saturday, has been disrupted as thugs invaded the venue and destroyed election materials.

Agents of some of the aspirants had complained that the electoral process was flawed, thereby providing avenues for thugs to unleash violence.

In spite of the disruption, one of the contestants, Minister Kayode Fayemi, wanted the result announced. But the state party chairman Jide Awe called for the election cancellation.

Awe blamed the APC Election Committee chaired by Nasarawa Gov. Umar Al-Makura for sidelining members of the state executive in the conduct of the election.

“There is no way you can conduct a primary without allowing State Executive Council to have a say,’ said Awe.

“The aspirants were not happy,” he added, calling for cancellation of the election.

“One of the cardinal principles of a free and fair election is for the electorate not to have a doubt. When a system is doubted in an election it becomes invalid.”

According to him, an invalid primary can’t produce a valid candidate.

“We want to have a credible election so that the electorate will be able to vote for us at the main election.”

He also claimed the security agencies were compromised–the reason the thugs were able to disrupt the election.