No fewer than six members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, were on Friday allegedly killed and many others badly injured when gunmen invaded the party’s caucus meeting of Benue South Senatorial district held at Otukpo.
Otukpo is the home of the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Benson Abounu and former Senate President, Senator David Alechenu Mark.
Sunday Telegraph learnt that during the meeting, a mild scuffle broke out between thugs who claimed loyalty to the incumbent Chairman of the party in the state, Comrade Abbah Yaro and the serving member of House of Representative, representing Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Hassan Sales and degenerated to a worrisome dimension.
Our correspondent learnt that the fisticuffs metamorphosed to a big fight which allegedly culminated in the death of the six persons and scores of other party supporters bodly wounded.
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State Chairman of the Party, Comrade Abbah Yaro, told journalists on telephone, that the fight did not emanate from the meeting, claiming “the zonal meeting went on smoothly and ended successfully”, as “plans by some members of the party at the level of Benue South to disrupt the meeting also failed”
Yaro explained that some people in his senatorial zone did not want him back as the state chairman of the party even when the entire zonal leadership of the party has endorsed him for a second term.
He mentioned Hon. Hassan Saleh, who just decamped from PDP to APC as one of those fighting to unseat him, adding that Saleh, who had declared on the floor of the House of Representatives in Abuja that he wants to vie for Benue South senatorial seat and had refused to declare his intention at home.
The APC State Chairman said “the fight that led to the death of those people started on the streets of Otukpo, a day before the zonal meeting was held. His position was corroborating by the APC State Director of Publicity, Mr. Apeh Peter, who said contrary to speculations, a chieftain of the party brought in thugs to manhandle his political opponents.
