Medical personnel in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, are working tirelessly to save the life of Hon. Christopher Audu, the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) Chairman of Qua’an Pan Local Government Area, who was reportedly attacked by delegates during a chaotic primary election.
The violence erupted on Thursday after Hon. Audu was declared the winner of the primary election. Initially, the electoral process had been peaceful, according to an observer named Michael Bulus. However, tensions flared when some delegates and members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who were allegedly denied access to the election hall, forced their way inside and directly confronted the TIC Chairman.
“The mob mercilessly beat Hon. Audu, accusing him of manipulating the election process to secure his victory,” Bulus recounted. “There were also allegations that Hon. Audu had handpicked loyalists to serve as delegates while preventing the legitimate delegates from participating in the vote.”
Following the attack, Hon. Audu, who sustained serious injuries, was urgently transported from Ba’ap, the headquarters of Qua’an Pan LGA, to an undisclosed medical facility for treatment.
In addition to the assault on Hon. Audu, the angry delegates also reportedly attacked officials of the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) who were present to oversee the election.
As of now, the PDP has not issued an official statement regarding the violent incident, which has cast a shadow over the integrity of the primary election process in Qua’an Pan LGA.