The Nigerian Army on Wednesday morning intercepted some armed members of the Oyo State Park Management System otherwise known as National Union Workers (NURTW) at Ita Awure/Efon Junction, Osun State.
It was learnt that they were arrested at about 3am.
The armed thugs were reportedly heading for Ekiti, to disrupt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Primaries, slated for today.
It was gathered that the thugs were mobilised from Oyo State to prevent emergence of a certain candidate for the 2022 governorship election.
The hoodlums were caught with guns, machetes, charms and others.
A source alleged that the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, was supporting emergence of a former governor of the state, Segun Oni, while the immediate past governor of the state, Peter Ayodele Fayose and a senator representing Ekiti-South senatorial district, Olubunmi Olujimi, were supporting another candidate.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, had earlier deployed additional policemen from Abuja to Ekiti State to complement personnel on the ground in the state to ensure hitch-free primary elections of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress.
The state Commissioner of Police, Tunde Mobayo, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the move was “in a bid to maintain serene atmosphere and free, fair and credible governorship primary elections of the PDP and the APC.”
While 11 aspirants are jostling for the PDP ticket during the indirect primary billed for Wednesday, eight aspirants are contesting for the APC’s ticket in the direct primary which will hold on Thursday.
Mobayo, in a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, titled “Governorship primaries – Ekiti State CP deploys adequate security, sues for peace,” reiterated the command’s readiness and deployment of adequate personnel to all voting centres and other relevant places across the state.
