There was a mild drama on Monday, at the Isabo area of Abeokuta, the venue of the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, when hoodlums, suspected to be political thugs invaded the area and scared away politicians.
The thugs in large numbers stormed the court to support their political parties as the Tribunal began sitting.
Some of the thugs were seen holding canes as a minor clash broke out between supporters of the two major political parties in the state; the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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It took the intervention of fully armed security operatives, comprising the police, DSS and Civil Defense who dispersed the thugs before peace could be restored.
The security operatives also prevented political supporters from entering into the premises of the court.
The road leading to the court was also blocked preventing vehicular movement.
The thugs however re-converged on the road opposite the court premises, a development which sparked anxiety.
The Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is expected to determine among other things the true winner of the March 18 governorship election, of which the incumbent Dapo Abiodun was declared winner but is being challenged by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ladi Adebutu.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced that Abiodun polled 276,298 to defeat his closest rivals Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 262,383 as well as Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who got 94,754 votes and who has the backing of former governor and serving APC Senator, Ibikunle Amosun.
A PDP member, who claimed that he was attacked by the thugs, said he lost his phone, money and other items in his possession while being beaten.
(Vanguard)
