Security men have cordoned off the Damlek Event Centre in Ado-Ekiti, venue of the Saturday’s rescheduled governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The development is to avoid a repeat of the May 5 botched exercise were thugs stormed the venue and destroyed voting materials.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that scores of policemen as well as personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have taken over the venue located on Federal Housing Road in the Ekiti capital as the accreditation process commenced.
The Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Donatus Ikemefuna, said no fewer than 2,000 officers were deployed to the venue of the primary to maintain law and order.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Hon. Taiwo Olatubosun, had said the tight security was to prevent a repeat of the violence which led to the suspension of the previous exercise.
A NAN correspondent at the venue reports that motorists as well as motorcyclists were prevented from entering the road leading to the venue.
Security at the entrance to the venue was also tight as members of the National Congress Committee on the primary led by Gov. Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa, conducted accreditation for delegates at the entrance of the venue.
A total of 32 aspirants are vying for the party’s ticket in the July 14 governorship election after President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, withdrew from the race.
Ojudu alleged that the processes leading to the rescheduled primary was designed to favour a particular aspirant.
