One Killed as Musa Wada Emerges Kogi PDP Governorship Candidate

One Killed as Musa Wada Emerges Kogi PDP Governorship Candidate

At least one person was yesterday confirmed killed in the shootout at the venue of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, where Musa Wada, the younger brother of the immediate past Governor of the state, Captain Idris Wada, emerged the flag bearer of the party in the state.

Musa polled 748 votes to defeat his closest rival, the son of an ex-governor Ibrahim Idris, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Idris, who scored 710 votes .

Adamawa State Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, who presided over the primary at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja, gave the breakdown of votes scored by each of the 13 aspirants that participated in the election

Fintiri also disclosed that former Governor Idris Wada came third with 345.

Other aspirants and their scores as announced by Fintiri were Dino Melaye, 70 votes; Aminu Abubakar Suleiman, 55; Victor Adoji, 54; Erico Ahmeh, 42; Salihu Atawodi, 11; Mohamed Shaibu, 4l Bayo Averehi, two; Emmanuel Omebije, nine and Grace Adejoh, zero.

The committee chairman said that he decided to announce the results, having been satisfied that the conduct of the primaries had complied substantially with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“We have performed well and we should be commended by all the aspirants,” the governor said.

He said that 2,388 delegates were accredited for the election while 2,109 votes were cast.

He also said that 54 voided votes were recorded, with 244 unused ballots, while 247 ballot papers could not be accounted for as a result of the invasion of the venue of the primary by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, adding however, that the number was not enough to damage the integrity of the exercise.

But at least one person identified as Abdulahi Loki Ibrahim, was killed in the shooting at the venue of the primary election.

The victim was said to have hailed from Koto-Nkarfe in Kogi Local Government Area of the State.

The party’s publicity secretary, Bode Ogunmola, who confirmed the killing, said the deceased had since been buried in Koto-Nkarfe, according to Islamic rites.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello has condemned the shooting at the PDP primary.

In a press release made available to journalists in Lokoja, and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Muhammed Onogwu, the governor who expressed disappointment with the development stated that “such dastardly acts were an affront to the security of lives and property which are the primary achievements of his administration and the one thing Kogites have come to take for granted in recent times.”

The governor, however, berated the opposition PDP for failing to keep the law, especially as the rival All Progressives Congress had held their primary last week, without any shooting incident.

Bello directed the security agencies to get to the root of the matter immediately, declaring that it portends grave danger to the state’s governorship elections scheduled for November 16.

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