PDP primaries: One feared dead as hoodlums stone DPO in Gombe

One person was reportedly killed at Tangji in Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State on Sunday evening when police officers were trying to drive away unruly supporters from the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for Billiri/Balanga Federal Constituency.

Trouble started at the venue of the primary election after a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), who supervised the security operations at the venue of the exercise, was stoned on his forehead.

The action, it was gathered, created rancour that resulted in the shooting of a supporter with one other sustaining varying degree of injuries.

However, the Gombe State Commissioner of Police, Ishola Babaita, while speaking on the incident in a telephone interview, disclosed to The Star that the killing was unconnected to the PDP primary election.

Babaita said the killing has nothing to do with the primary election as it was far away from the scene of the exercise.

Meanwhile, the election, which was held under a very tensed atmosphere, saw Hon. Ali Isa JC polling 43 out of the 61 votes cast to beat nine other contestants, while his closest rival, Hon. Rambi Ibrahim Ayala polled nine votes.

READ ALSO: Upsets, chaos trail PDP Reps, Assembly primaries

Winner of the election, Hon. Ali, who represented the constituency from 2015 to 2019, promised quality representation if elected again in the 2023 general election just as he thanked the delegates for the confidence bestowed on him.

He added that the election was a family affair, noting that he would associate with other contestants immediately to see how they could work as a team and reconcile.

Ali said: “You can see eighty percent of the contestants hugged and congratulated me. So I assure you that we are going to come out strong as one team, so the APC should start parking.”

In his reaction, Hon. Ayala, the member representing Billiri East in the Gombe State House of Assembly, who contested and polled nine votes, alleged the militarization of the whole exercise.

He said the primary election turned out as a war, adding that a fair level playing ground should have been allowed.

Meanwhile, reports from other parts of Gombe State showed that the PDP primaries for the state Assembly and House of Representatives was relatively peaceful.

The result is as follows:

House of Representatives

1. Dukku/Nafaɗa
2. Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye – Hon Yaya Bauchi Tongo
3. Akko – Hon. Aishatu MB Ahmad
4. Yamaltu Deba – Hon. Inuwa Garba
5. Billiri/Balanga – Hon. Ali JC Isa
6. Kaltungo/Shongom – Hon. Obed Paul Shehu

Gombe State House of Assembly

AKKO LGA

1) Hon. Abdullahi Bashir Gaddafi – Akko Central

2) Hon. Umar Adamu Kalajanga – Akko North

3) Hon. Alh Adamu Kashere (Bunun Kashere –  Akko West

BALANGA LGA

1) Hon. Meriji Adamu Majoro – Balanga South

2) Hon. Saratu Hamman Jauro – Balanga North

BILLIRI LGA

1) Hon. Yakubu Daniel Ladollis (Shettiman Bare) – Billiri East

2) Hon. Nimrod Malon Yari (Talban Tal) – Billiri West.

DUKKU LGA

1) Hon. Zakariyya Ya’u Sa’idu – Dukku South

2) Hon. Abdulrahman Buba Zaune – Dukku North

FUNAKAYE LGA

1) Hon. Mohammed Buba Bajoga Boro – Funakaye North

2) Hon. Abubakar Adamu – Funakaye South

GOMBE LGA

1) Hon. Ahmed Kawuwa Abubakar (Chichchi) – Gombe North

2) Hon. Ismail Usmandodo – Gombe South

KALTUNGO LGA

1) Hon. Gabriel Galadima – Kaltungo west

2) Hon. Hassan Reuben – Kaltungo East

KWAMI LGA

1) Hon. Adamu Rilwanu (Marafan Bomala) – Kwami West

2) Hon. Ahmad Abubakar Doho (Sardaunan Doho) – Kwami East

NAFADA LGA

1) Hon. Haji Baba (Sardaunan Nafada) – Nafada North

2) Hon. Ibrahim Kawu Musa – Nafada South

SHONGOM LGA

1) Hon. Zubairu Ayala – Shongom

2) Hon. Markus Samuel – Pero Chonge

YAMALTU DEBA LGA

1) Hon. Salisu Inuwa Lano – Deba

2) Hon. Kabiru Haruna Wade – Yamaltu East

3) Hon. Engr Samaila Garba – Yamaltu west

Attah Williams, Gombe

The Star