A number of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were yesterday beaten, harassed and injured at the APC secretariat on GRA Road, Ilorin under the supervision of Mr. Sulyman Buhari, a spokesman of the party.
These revelations were contained in a statement issued by Kayode Oyin-Zubair in Ilorin yesterday.
The statement reads: “Our members, having duly paid the statutory nomination fees to the banks after scaling all hurdles, including an alleged security report to the banks which prevented our members to pay into banks in Ilorin but in a neighbouring state.
“We managed to pay the fees needed to obtain forms in a neighbouring state and thereafter proceeded to the GRA secretariat to obtain forms as it was done last week since the national secretariat had always saddled the outgoing executive with the responsibility of selling forms.
“Our members were surprised when they were turned back that the forms were no longer with them. They could sight tags and other materials for the congress in the office of the secretary, where they were turned back. The question begging for attention is that what are the tags meant for, if forms meant for contestants that will contest in the congress are not in Ilorin today when the guidelines warned that duly completed forms must be returned 24 hours to the congress?
“As our members were coming down of the office, some hoodlums descended on them and inflicted varying degrees of injuries on them. It is sad that Mr. Qudus Ahmed (Secretary, Buhari Campaign Organisation, BCO) was seriously injured with cuts in his head and upper part of the body.
“Several others were not spared in the attack apart from their phones that were forcefully taken and equally depossed of valuables including cash.
This came just few hours after we made a communication to the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command and we swiftly informed the police and other security agencies of the reign of terror for the moment it lasted.
“We are using this medium to advise the security agencies in the state to ensure the security of our members in the renewed onslaught carefully orchestrated to maim our members and possibly exterminate us.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Kwara State APC, Sulyman Buhari, yesterday said no member of the party was denied the collection of nomination forms.
Alhaji Buhari added that the allegations that some members of the party were not allowed to collect nomination forms “are false”.
“Everything is in the hands of the committee from Abuja. And they said there is no division in the party. That is the only thing I can say. We believe that the APC in Kwara is one, “ he said.