A protest erupted on Saturday in Okpoga, headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, during the All Progressives Congress House of Representatives primary election for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency.
The unrest was reportedly triggered after three local government APC chairmen from Ado, Okpokwu and Ogbadibo allegedly disappeared from the collation centre with election results, sparking confusion among delegates and party members.
Eyewitnesses said tension had been building at the venue after it became apparent that a particular aspirant was leading in the contest, a development that reportedly unsettled some stakeholders.
The situation was said to have deteriorated when armed men allegedly stormed the area, dispersing party faithful and disrupting the collation process at the centre.
In the ensuing confusion, there were further allegations that suspected thugs engaged in large-scale thumb-printing activities around the Okpoga Roundabout, allegedly under the watch of security operatives.
Shortly after the disruption, the three local government chairmen were said to have left the venue with results from their respective councils, an action that immediately triggered protests.
As of the time of filing this report, demonstrators were still on the streets in Okpoga, while the whereabouts of the party officials remained unknown.
The incident came against the backdrop of earlier complaints by some APC stakeholders alleging moves to impose a consensus candidate on the constituency ahead of the primary.
However, party leaders had maintained that all aspirants would be allowed to test their popularity through a transparent primary election process.
