APC, PDP supporters’ row ends Stakeholders Meeting

A row between All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party in Ado-Ekiti yesterday brought to an end the stakeholders meeting by the Independent National Electoral Commission and Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in preparation for the governorship election on Saturday.
The meeting which was billed to get political parties and their candidates reach a consensus on the conduct of the election, resulted in a shouting match between supporters of the two major parties, forcing the organisers to close the meeting without allowing a key aspect of the meeting, which was the questions and answers session.
The stakeholders meeting which held at the Eagle Hall, Ikere Road, Ado Ekiti, was attended by candidates of the 35 political parties and the party officials.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, and Ibrahim Idris had finished addressing the meeting on the expectations for the election, when Samuel Omotoso, a serving member of the National Assembly, raised an observation on the conduct of the APC candidate, Kayode Fayemi.
He alleged that Fayemi had been bragging that he would be declared winner whichever way the election goes.
Omotoso also alleged that security men shot at him and his family members during the APC rally in his town, Oloje, in Oye local government area, saying some security operatives were partisan in their conduct.
As he continued his complaints with the continued mention of Fayemi’s name, the APC members in the hall became agitated and raised their voices to shout him down.
The ensuring uproar later gave rise to a charged atmosphere, causing dignitaries to start leaving the hall.
Efforts made by the INEC chairman and the Inspector General of Police and the Chairman Council of Traditional Rulers, Oluwole Ademolaju, to calm the frayed nerves did not yield fruit.
Speaking on the cause of the uproar, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, said the APC members carried on at the meeting as if they came there only to pass a strong message to the PDP when they came singing campaign chants.