24th August, 2011
At least six people sustained serious injuries on Tuesday clash between the supporters of two Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, chairmanship aspirants on Lagos Island ahead of the forthcoming council polls in Lagos, South West Nigeria.
Also, at least four of the aggrieved political supporters were arrested by the police from the Area ‘A’ Police Command, Lion Building at Campbell Street and later released after the intervention of some political leaders on Lagos Island.
Eye witnesses said one of the ACN political leaders on the Island, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, had last week raised the hand of the former chairman of the Lagos Island Local Council Development Area, Hon. Kehinde Ashekun Owo-Iya, as the next chairman to replace the outgoing Mr. Mufutau Kadiku aka ‘KDK’.
It was gathered that the decision did not go down well with other ACN leaders and members who were in support of the former Secretary of the LCDA, Hon. Kamal Bashua, to take over from KDK.
Other political leaders on the island who were aware of the disagreement however organised a reconciliation meeting between Alhaji Razaq Folorunsho Balogun alias Baba RF who is in support of Bashua and Baba Olusi who supported Ashekun at the Lagos Island Local Government Secretariat, SAPPAS, building to settle the matter.
A source disclosed that a meeting held to resolve the impasse ended deadlock following alleged cases of imposition while there were counter accusations by the warring ACN leaders over the issue.
It was alleged that all efforts by other leaders at the meeting to placate them to sheathe their swords were futile as there was a fight between them.
“Their supporters who got wind of what was happening at the meeting started to attack another outside the council secretariat with dangerous weapons like bottles, knives and cutlasses,†a source said.
It took about two hours before five different teams of the Nigeria Police Force from the Area ‘A’ Commands dispersed the rioters and arrested some of them.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga