Angry youth stone Governor, others, disrupt APC rally

Youths protesting the  imposition of a candidate on their local government

Hundreds of angry youth, on Sunday, in Nasarawa local government area, disrupted the All Progressives Congress, APC, campaign rally towards the local government elections fixed for March 22.

The youths, who threw stones at the podium few minutes after the state governor, Umaru Al-Makura was about to deliver his speech, claimed they were protesting the imposition of a candidate by the party.

They  had, during the primaries, selected Tijani Ahmed as the party's candidate. But they are now accusing the party of imposing another candidate, Abdullahi Ibrahim.

The aggrieved youths  came to the venue of the rally, Government College, Nasarawa, with stones in Ghana-must-go sacks and vowed to vote against the APC candidate at the polls.

They ignored repeated appeals by the state governor for calm.

Most dignitaries ran away as the crisis escalated, with few people sustaining injuries as a result of the near stampede.

Although security operatives at the venue of the rally were able to control the situation by unleashing tear gas, many attendees at the rally however left the venue for fear of more trouble from the youths

Eventually, the angry youths were forcefully dispersed and the rally continued.

Meanwhile, during the flag-off the local government elections campaign in Toto local government area, Mr. Al-Makura appealed to the people of the state to vote for the APC at all levels to guarantee their future.

He said only the APC has the manifesto that would bring meaningful gains to the people.

Mr. Al-Makura said his administration would create additional chiefdoms in the area to give the people a sense of belonging.

“Our administration has in the last one year been able to impact meaningful development by bringing government closer to the people through the creation of development areas,” he said.

A senator representing Nasarawa West district, Abdullahi Adamu, said the APC would sweep the 2015 general election and called on the people not to waste their votes.

Adamu said that his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, had brought an end to the party in the state.