Chaos briefly marred a high-level coalition meeting in Abuja involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and other prominent figures, following a dispute over representation for Jigawa State.
The meeting, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel and organized by the National Political Consultative Group (North), was disrupted when former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, announced a delegate to speak on behalf of Jigawa State.
The announcement sparked outrage among some Jigawa delegates, who stormed the stage and blocked the nominated individual from speaking. They insisted they would not accept any representative that had not been agreed upon by the majority.
As tensions escalated, security operatives including members of the Nigerian Police, Department of State Services, and private guards swiftly intervened to protect key political figures present at the venue. Calm was eventually restored after several minutes of appeals from stakeholders.
A resolution was reached when Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, along with another delegate, was accepted by the group to speak for the state, allowing the proceedings to continue.
What you should know
The coalition meeting was convened to explore potential political alignments ahead of future national elections.
The disruption over Jigawa’s representation underscores the deep sensitivities around internal political consensus and regional dynamics.
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