Party chairman narrowly avoids being lynched by irate members accusing him of election rigging

JIGAWA State's chairman of Nigeria's main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Salisu Kuit narrowly escaped being lynched by irate members on Monday when they attacked him for meddling with local elections.

In what would have been a very ugly incident, Alhaji Kuit managed to escape from the party’s headquarters in Dutse just as things got ugly. Party supporters had thronged the headquarters to express their grievances over the actions of the ward congress committee headed by Senator Isah Hamma Misau.

They were unhappy about the fact that the PDP ward congress committee in Jigawa State cancelled all elections abruptly. Set up by the party, the committee was saddled with the responsibilities of monitoring the processes of the election.

Trouble, however, started when the party chairman tried to address the gathering on the processes of the congress and youths began to shout, accusing state party leadership of selling the party in the previous elections. They chanted “Bamayi”, “kun sayar mana da Jam’iyyar”, “sai nun canzaku”, meaning we don’t like your leadership, you have sold our great party, we must change you.”

In addition, the youth also accused the party leadership of working against the interest of the PDP by trying to enforce leadership on it at ward, local government and state levels. Responding to the incident, however, the state party chairman said the youth were mobilised to attack his personality.

He added that the party had successfully conducted its congress across all 287 wards in the state. Alhaji Kuit said the results of these elections would soon be forwarded to the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.