Suspected political thugs disrupted the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Kwara State on Thursday after storming the party’s state secretariat in Ilorin and creating tension around the exercise.
The group, reportedly loyal to a particular governorship aspirant, arrived in large numbers and surrounded the secretariat while chanting war songs and issuing threats, insisting that their preferred candidate must emerge victorious in the primary.
Eyewitness accounts said the hoodlums blocked access to the premises, restricting movement in and out of the venue and causing panic among party officials and delegates participating in the election process.
A video circulating from the scene showed the group chanting in Yoruba in support of a specific aspirant, as they openly demanded that he be declared the winner of the exercise.
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who was appointed by the APC leadership to oversee the governorship primary in Kwara State, was reportedly trapped inside the secretariat during the unrest.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), were deployed to the area in an effort to restore order and prevent further escalation.
Despite their intervention, witnesses said the atmosphere remained tense for a period as the suspected thugs continued their activities around the secretariat.
The APC primary elections are currently ongoing across several states ahead of the 2027 general elections.
