Tension erupted in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State on Wednesday when angry youths stormed the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat, destroying property in protest of the alleged imposition of the incumbent chairman, Ilyasu Zakari, as the consensus chairmanship candidate for the upcoming local government elections.
According to eyewitnesses who spoke with The Nation, the youths expressed their frustration with the process, claiming that under Zakari’s leadership, the local government had not seen any meaningful progress.
They declared they were not ready to accept his candidacy for a second term. As the APC consensus exercise unfolded, the youths grew increasingly agitated, chanting “bana so,” which translates to “we do not agree.”
In a dramatic turn of events, the youths pulled down the iron rods that held the roof of the APC secretariat, causing the roof to collapse.
Speaking anonymously, one of the protesting youths stated, “This is the implication of attempting to impose a consensus candidate on us.”
The damage to the APC secretariat occurred in full view of police operatives, who were present but did not intervene during the destruction.
Naijaonpoint reports that the incident raised questions about the role of law enforcement in maintaining order during political protests.
The police operatives present were criticized for not taking action to prevent the destruction, further fueling anger among the protesters.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Niger State saw its first female local government consensus candidate emerge from Munya Local Government Area. Fatima Usman, who secured the APC consensus ticket, marks a significant step forward for women in local politics in the state.
Reports from Niger State suggest that several incumbent local government chairmen have failed to secure their party’s consensus tickets and will not be returning for another term.
This has caused further dissatisfaction among party members and locals, as the APC navigates the process of selecting candidates for the upcoming elections.