No fewer than seven persons have reportedly sustained various degrees of injuries in Sabongida village, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State following disagreement over election of Porters Association.
The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the crisis began on Wednesday after the association conducted an election to produce new leaders to run its affairs for the next two years.
According to an eyewitness, Alhaji Sanusi Manu, after the election, which many adjudged to be free and fair, Murtala Muhammed emerged as the new Chairman with 11 other officials, having defeated the incumbent Chairman, Yakubu Saleh, with majority votes.
Manu added that after his defeat, the former chairman allegedly went to the Chairman of Gassol Local Government Council, Alhaji Musa Chul, to protest the outcome of the poll.
It was learnt that on Thursday, the council chairman allegedly ordered the Gassol Divisional Police Officer and some officials of the council to instal Saleh to continue in office as chairman of the association.
“It is in the process of trying to impose the former chairman on the association after he was defeated that crisis began between the rival groups,” said Manu.
He said the development generated tension in the village following fracas between the two groups, which resulted to the injury of the seven persons.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, the Chairman of Sabongida Development Association, Alhaji Isiaka Adamu, blamed the crisis on the chairman of the council for trying to impose the ex-chairman on the association against popular wish.
Adamu said: “The Porters Association had conducted their elections on Thursday and Murtala Usman emerged the chairman of the association with Salisu Abubakar as the Secretary and 11 others.
“Why will the council chairman interfere?
“The council chairman should be held responsible should there be any break down of law and order in Sabongida.
“The local government chairman wants the exco to continue because of his political interest, but the people don’t want him again that is why they voted for Abubakar.”
Adamu therefore called on the state government and security agencies to call the chairman to order to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
The Adamawa State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Usman, said he was yet to receive the report from the divisional headquarters in Gassol.
“I will give you the update as soon as we get the details from Gassol,” Usman said.
However, the Chairman of Gassol Local Government Council, Alhaji Musa Chul, denied imposing any candidate on the association.
According to him, the Saleh Abubakar-led executive wrote to the local government informing the council that they are going to hold an election upon which officials from the Social Development Unit of the council, Nigeria Labour Congress and National Union of Local Government Employees were sent to monitor the exercise.
He explained that the officials, including the chairman, were duly elected and returned by majority of votes.
“Nobody informed us that they have an election and those that wrote to the local government were the ones that we sent,” Chul insisted.
The chairman blamed the crisis on some politicians from the area who wanted to use the association to achieve their selfish political goals.
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