Bandits are said to have killed three delegates for the People Democratic Party's gubernatorial primary in Niger State's Mariga Local Government Area.
Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, revealed this today at the State PDP Secretariat in Minna, where the primaries were held.
The delegates were assassinated on Wednesday, May 25, while returning to Mariga after the party postponed the primaries owing to a protest by several hopefuls who voiced dissatisfaction with the delegates list, according to Ewhrudjakpo.
"We left Minna in the wee hours of the morning when the PDP announced that the Governorship Primaries would be held on Thursday, and that we should have our voter's card or other form of identification."
We were returning home to grab our identification when we came across bandits on the road who opened fire on our vehicle. Despite the fact that we were able to flee since the driver was not hit, four individuals perished instantly." Shehu Haruna, a delegate, said
He claimed that the local government, which borders Birnin-Gwari in Kaduna, has functioned as a haven for bandits who terrorise the area on a regular basis.