A violent clash left over 40 people injured and several missing at the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign rally in Lafia the capital of Nasarawa State on Wednesday.
Vice President Kashim Shettima who was in the VIP section left the venue as fighting broke out among supporters and security forces moved in.
Youths dressed in APC clothes began chanting slogans for the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate former Inspector General of Police Adamu Abubakar. This sparked immediate confrontation with security operatives and supporters of the APC governorship candidate Aliyu Wadada.
The situation deteriorated quickly as youths from both sides used dangerous weapons. Several dignitaries outside the VIP section fled for safety while organisers ended the rally abruptly to protect those inside.
Security operatives fired tear gas to disperse the agitated crowd and restore order. After the mayhem many people searched for their loved ones amid the chaos. Tension remained high in Lafia with security forces deployed at key locations to prevent further violence.
The Nasarawa State Government blamed former governor Umaru Tanko Al Makura and the SDP candidate Adamu Abubakar for the violence. In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government Labaran Magaji the government described the incident as an ignoble act by irate youths suspected to be linked to the two men. It directed the State Security Service to carry out a full investigation immediately.
The rally was part of early APC mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu and the party candidates ahead of the 2027 elections. Shettima who represented the President had urged voters for a straight ticket victory for APC at all levels. He was joined by APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas along with other leaders and thousands of supporters at Lafia Square.
Reports also noted related tensions during Shettima courtesy visit to the Emir of Lafia and claims that Governor Abdullahi Sule was pelted with stones by aggrieved party members linked to internal disputes over the governorship primary. As of late Wednesday neither Al Makura nor Adamu Abubakar had publicly responded to the allegations.
