The INEC stakeholders meeting in Lokoja today suffered some set back when suspected thugs allegedly attacked candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Mrs Natasha Akpoti.
A social media message presumably sent by the activist which went viral on WhatsApp reads “I have just been attacked & pushed to the ground by Yahaya Bello’s / APC thugs as I walked into the Political Stakeholders meeting organized by INEC. Police watched doing nothing.”
According to an eye witness, “the incidence happened in the presence of the Governor and the Inspector General, Mohammedd Adamu, amongst other security chiefs.
“It took the attention of the men of the Nigerian Army to rescue the SDP governorship candidate from the venue”, the eye witness added.
It was gathered that troubles started when some thugs prevented Natasha from entering Idrinana Hotel venue of the stakeholders meeting. Her supporters insisted she must be allowed access to the venue while the other group held their ground. In the crisis that followed, the police quickly released teargas to the air.
It would be recalled that the SDP had earlier raised alarm about the safety of the lady- politician alleging a plot to attack her convoy.
Todays attack is the third in three days on the SDP candidate. Her posters were torn Sunday afternoon on major streets in Lokoja. Some hours later, specifically about 1:00am on Monday, the state Secretariat of the SDP was set on fire by unknown arsonists. Similarly, thugs vandalized her family house in Okene in the build up to the last general election. She sought unsuccessfully to represent Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Her current travails coming barely four days to the election may have set the template of what to expect in the build up to, during and after the all important poll.
Already, indiscriminate arrests of known opposition figures are said to be going on around the state.