A tragic incident has marred the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the House of Representatives seat in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, following the death of a man identified as Sani Abdullahi during unrest at the venue of the exercise.
The incident reportedly occurred in Kasuwan Ali Community amid tension and confusion over delays in the commencement of the party’s primary election. Eyewitnesses said the victim was allegedly struck by a bullet fired by security operatives attempting to disperse protesting youths gathered at the venue.
According to residents, the primary election, which was scheduled to begin on Saturday morning, failed to commence as expected because electoral officials had yet to arrive. The prolonged delay reportedly angered party supporters and youths in the area, who accused organisers of deliberately stalling the process.
A resident of the community, Ibrahim Sale, who spoke on the development, said frustration among party members grew steadily as hours passed without any sign of the returning officers assigned to conduct the election.
“The exercise was supposed to hold on Saturday morning, but it didn’t take place because of the absence of returning officers,” Sale explained.
“As the delay continued, many of the youths became angry and started protesting because they believed something suspicious was going on.”
According to him, the situation worsened when some government officials who had arrived earlier to observe the process reportedly decided to leave the venue after discovering that the electoral officers were still absent.
Sale said the move triggered fresh outrage among the protesters, who blocked roads leading out of the community to prevent the officials from leaving.
“As this was going on, government officials who came to witness the exercise decided to leave because of the absence of the electoral officers,” he said.
“But some youths blocked the road to stop them from leaving because they felt abandoning the venue meant the election might not hold at all.”
The protesters reportedly insisted that nobody should leave the area until electoral officials arrived and the primary election commenced.
“The youths insisted they would not allow anyone to leave until the officials came and conducted the primary election,” Sale added.
Tension reportedly escalated shortly afterwards when security personnel, including soldiers stationed in the area, moved in to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Eyewitnesses said the atmosphere quickly turned chaotic after some of the protesters allegedly began throwing stones at the security personnel.
“This drew the attention of security personnel, who moved in to disperse them,” Sale stated.
“As soon as the security personnel arrived, some youths started throwing stones at them. The soldiers then started shooting, and unfortunately, a stray bullet hit the victim.”
Sani Abdullahi was reportedly rushed for medical attention after he was hit, but he later died from the gunshot injury.
The killing sparked panic and confusion across the community, with residents fleeing the area as tension heightened around the venue of the political exercise.
Several eyewitnesses and community members condemned the incident, describing the death as avoidable and demanding a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Residents expressed anger over the use of live ammunition during what they described as a political protest triggered by organisational failures surrounding the APC primary election.
The incident has further raised concerns about the growing atmosphere of tension, violence and insecurity surrounding political activities and party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Observers say the development reflects increasing anxiety within political circles as aspirants and their supporters compete for party tickets across the country.
Political analysts have repeatedly warned that poor organisation, lack of transparency and delays in electoral processes often create conditions capable of triggering violence during party primaries.
The latest incident in Plateau State has also renewed calls for security agencies to exercise restraint and professionalism when handling political gatherings and civil disturbances.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the APC in Plateau State had yet to issue an official statement on the incident, while security authorities also had not publicly commented on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Community leaders in Mangu Local Government Area have reportedly appealed for calm and urged residents not to take the law into their hands as authorities investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, residents and political supporters in the area continue to mourn the death of Abdullahi, whose killing has cast a shadow over the APC primary process in the state.
