An unexpected commotion broke out yesterday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretariat over the election of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as a result of an altercation between the two opposing parties contending for the association’s leadership.
Turmoil erupted following the security personnel attempting to prevent NANS members from joining the ongoing National Working Committee (NWC) meeting – they did this following the order of their boss Senator Abdulahi Adamu
At this moment, the security officers at the headquarters turned violent, using force against the furious NANS members who had come to the secretariat to have a discussion with the party’s leadership regarding a recent election.
The secretariat employees fled for refuge as a result of the police’s frantic attempt to return things to normal by dispersing the enraged NANS members with tear gas.
According to information gathered, Segun Dada, a candidate for the position of National Youth Leader who resigned to pave way for Dayo Israel who is the current youth leader, reportedly led a team to inform the party’s leadership about the NANS election.
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According to a party source, Dada was present at the secretariat following the youth leader’s invitation to confer with the NWC’s leadership and inform them of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) plans to rig the election.
The source said: ‘Dada’s attempt and desperation to force his way with his delegation resulted in the police using teargas on him and others, which infuriated them, leading to the situation becoming rowdy.”
‘The surprising thing is that Dada is not a stranger at the secretariat, because he worked for some years here. But, he was not however diplomatic in handling the situation otherwise it would not have degenerated into the extent of using several canisters of teargas to disperse them.’
‘Yes, Dada was on genuine mission to brief the leadership on how PDP elements in APC have hijacked the election, as directed by the youth leader. But what we cannot understand was why he came with those hefty boys that fought the security agents. It was bad that the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the party was molested by those boys that came with Dada.’
Further information, however, came from Adamu and Tinubu-aligned NANS sections, who claimed the altercation was an offshoot of their long-running rivalry.
Another source also said that, ‘One of the candidates for today’s election, Umar Farouk from BUK Kano is Tinubu’s choice, while Usman Baba Kankia from ABU Zaria is the initial choice of Abullahi Adamu and the presidency.”
‘However, Usman Baranbu Federal University Dutse is the popular choice of student leaders and stakeholders. So, what happened at the secretariat was a display of forces and a dress rehearsal and litmus test of what to expect during Thursday’s NANS election.’
Prior to the election period, there have been Sparks of political crisis, traced to rivalry these parties previously had; they dispute each other to the point of using violence to achieve whatever aim they set their mind to.