APC Benue South caucus petitions party over chairman’s actions

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Benue South Senatorial District caucus has urged the national secretariat of the party to caution its state chairman, Abba Yaro, against further use of violence in an attempt to impose unpopular candidate on the people.
The caucus made the appeal following the violence that took place last Friday during a meeting convened in Otukpo to discuss the forthcoming congresses and national convention of the party. The violence, which it claimed left no fewer than 10 persons dead, was allegedly orchestrated by the party chairman who it said was held bent on imposing and had come with six trucks of thugs that disrupted deliberations.
According to Barrister Mathias Onoja, an eye-witness, Yaro’s alleged thugs took matters into their hands, harassing, shooting and dispersing the meeting. Trouble started when the former Senate President, Barrister Ameh Ebute, observed that the atmosphere was not conducive for party business but was shouted down by District Zonal Chairman, Mohammed Hassan, whose brother Illyasu Hassan was allegedly positioned at the high table to attack anyone with dissenting opinion. Even the intervention of the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, proved abortive as he was shouted down by thugs, even as Abba Yaro insisted that he should be endorsed unopposed.
Also, Hon. Hassan Anthony Saleh, a member representing Okpokwu, Ado and Ogbadibo federal constituency, was prevented from commenting and told to go back to the PDP. However, the meeting was brought to an abrupt end when the thugs started clapping and shouting, calling the Minister (Ogbeh) “Mr. Cattle Colony”, Hon Hassan Saleh was allegedly dragged about by two thugs.
“If the party does not do anything, the thugs and their sponsors will be emboldened to carry out more assault on the people and death-toll of political killings will be increased during the congress proper. “Also, the elders must petition the police to bring murder charges against Abba Yaro and his cohorts to stem this tide of violence of higher dimensions,” Onoja said.