A man whose identity had yet to be confirmed was killed, while several others suffered injuries after violence broke out during the All Progressives Congress House of Representatives primary election in the Ikotun area of Lagos State on Saturday.
The incident reportedly happened at a primary school in the Ile-Iwe area of Egbe, where party members and delegates had gathered for the exercise.
The APC conducted primaries across the country on Saturday for aspirants contesting seats in the House of Representatives.
Witnesses said the election process had been peaceful before tension suddenly erupted among rival supporters at the venue, leading to chaos.
A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said the disagreement later escalated, forcing people to flee as gunshots were heard.
“The primary held in a primary school at the Ile-Iwe area of Ikotun Egbe. The exercise was ongoing when an argument suddenly broke out among some supporters.
“The situation later degenerated and people started running for safety. In the process, gunshots were heard and one person was hit. Some others were also injured during the confusion,” the resident said.
Another eyewitness, identified simply as Taofeek, said the violence caused panic across the area as supporters and delegates scrambled for safety.
“We suddenly started hearing people shouting and running. Everybody became confused because nobody initially knew what was happening.
“After the gunshots, people started jumping fences and hiding in nearby houses. It was later that we heard that one person was killed while others sustained injuries,” he said.
Taofeek added that the victim was rushed out for medical attention after being shot but was later confirmed dead on the way to the hospital.
“The victim was rushed out after he was shot, but we learnt he later died. It created serious tension around the venue because many people were afraid,” he added.
A police source disclosed that security operatives were immediately deployed to the scene after the violence broke out.
“The moment the situation became violent, our men called for backup and the DPO and Area Commander moved to the venue to restore peace,” the source said.
The source, however, did not confirm whether any suspect had been arrested in connection with the incident.
Efforts to get a response from the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to his line were not answered.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the APC had yet to release an official statement on the incident.
Political violence has continued to be a major concern during elections and party primaries in Nigeria, with clashes among rival supporters often resulting in casualties and destruction of property.