Guber primary: Gunmen ‘shoot’ three PDP delegates in Niger

Three delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been reportedly shot by gunmen around Tegina LGA of Niger state.

Speaking with TheCable on Thursday, Yahaya Abdullahi, zone c PDP chairman in Niger, said the incident happened at about 4:30pm on Wednesday.

Earlier on Thursday, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, deputy governor of Bayelsa who chaired the Niger PDP primary electoral committee, had said the three delegates were killed.

“We want to put on record that our hearts go out to the families of those three persons who were killed by bandits in Mariga LGA,” he had said.

“It is quite unfortunate and this is the more reason we must change the current equilibrium.”

However, Abdullahi said the delegates were not killed, adding that they were shot while on their way to Mariga to retrieve means of identification to partake in the governorship primary, which was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday.

The primary was postponed on Wednesday over the protest by four of the five gubernatorial aspirants, who demanded that all delegates provide proper means of identification.

“No, they are not dead yet but they were shot and are currently receiving treatment at the Kontagora General Hospital,” he said.

“Yesterday was the initial date for our gubernatorial primary, but the electoral panel requires a voter’s card and a means of identification.

“After they presented the membership card which by our party’s guidelines is the party membership card, the agents of the other aspirants requested for voter card identification.

“It was while they were on their way along Tegina to Mariga that the gunmen who were crossing the road with their cattle attacked and shot them.

“It is a very sad incident, and very unfortunate because we were all at the headquarters in Minna, Niger state capital, when we asked them to go and bring their identification cards.

“No life was lost. They were formerly admitted at the Beri hospital before they were transferred to Kongora General Hospital.”

Meanwhile, the PDP governorship primary has been concluded in Niger state.

Announcing the result, Ewrudjakpo said Liman Kantingi, a former commissioner in Niger state, scored 667 votes to secure the PDP governorship ticket.