Jethro Ibileke/Benin
As crisis continues to mar the congress elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC), across the country, sporadic gunshots have been reported at the Owan East Local Government secretariat in Afuze, venue of the election local government congress election in the area.
Also, a 75-year-old, Mr. Osain Isaiah, was said to have been locked inside a room for several hours, even as bottles were said to have been freely used to disperse candidates.
Another victim, Anthony Ojalarun, from ward six, was not also spared as he was given the beaten of his life.
The State Commissioner for Local Government and Communities Affairs, Mr. Jimoh Ijegbai, who was allegedly barred from entering the secretariat, expressed surprised that Afuze that used to be very peaceful has suddenly become a terrible place during election.
He said he thought that the local government congress was going to toe the line of last Saturday’s ward congress where they all agreed on a consensus, adding that if such was adopted, there should have been no need for the fracas that broke out at the party secretariat.
He alleged that the Council Chairman, Hon. Andy Osigue, ordered that the Council secretariat should be locked up.
“The Council Chairman ordered that the party secretariat should not be opened. Before we got there, they locked that 75-year-old man, Mr. Osain Isaiah, inside the place almost suffocating him to death. We have to mobilized and force the place open and we got the man out,” he said.
The leader of the party in Owan East and member if the House of Representatives, Mr. Pally Iriase, said the decision of the National Executive Committee of the party, which said zoning must be maintained at all levels, must be adhere to.