Otukpo: Disagreement over death of five at APC meeting

…Nobody was killed at the said meeting  
– Yaro, APC state chair.

There is disagree-ment over the death of five persons, allegedly killed at a zonal caucus meeting of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue South Senatorial District in Otukpo, Benue State.

According to an eyewitness, Omale Obande, the meeting was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and other elected and political office holders from Benue State, including the chairman of APC in Benue State, Abba Yaro.

Mr. Obande told The Nation that there was disagreement over the purported endorsement of the chairman of APC, Abba Yaro, as some party men and women who attended the zonal caucus meeting kicked against his endorsement for a second term as chairman.

The chairman of the APC, Benue State Chapter, Abba Yaro, has been in a running battle with some APC members and they have vowed to replace him at the coming party congress.

But the chairman, according to some sources, is scheming behind the scene for re-election and his ambition is generating tension within the state chapter of APC.

But at the zonal meeting, where the matter was discussed, according to the eyewitness, some thugs attacked some members alleged to be opposed to Yaro’s re-election. This degenerated into a fracas where five people were allegedly killed while many others sustained serious injuries.

But in his reaction, the chairman of APC, Abba Yaro, told The Nation that nobody was killed at the zonal meeting held in Otukpo.

“The meeting took place at Double K Hotel in Otukpo and it was peaceful and ended on a peaceful note,” he said. Abba Yaro added that his enemies are the ones spreading the dangerous rumour.

Police spokesman Moses Yamu’s official confirmation could not be obtained as he failed to pick his calls yesterday.