The incident happened during the party’s House of Representatives primary election held at a primary school in the Ile-Iwe area of Egbe.
According to reports, the exercise had started peacefully before tensions rose after an argument allegedly broke out between supporters of rival aspirants at the venue.
Eyewitnesses said the disagreement quickly escalated into chaos, causing panic among party members and residents in the area.
A resident who spoke anonymously disclosed that gunshots were later heard during the disturbance, leaving one person critically injured while others also suffered injuries in the confusion.
“The primary was taking place at a school in Ile-Iwe, Ikotun Egbe, when some supporters suddenly began arguing. The situation got out of hand and people started running for safety. Gunshots were later heard and one person was hit,” the resident explained.
Another eyewitness identified simply as Taofeek said the violence forced delegates and supporters to flee the venue out of fear.
“People started shouting and running everywhere. Nobody initially understood what was happening. After the gunshots, many people jumped fences and hid inside nearby houses,” he said.
Taofeek added that the injured victim was rushed away from the scene but reportedly died while being taken to the hospital.
Security operatives were later deployed to the area to restore calm after the violence broke out.
A police source revealed that additional officers, including the Divisional Police Officer and Area Commander, moved to the venue once the situation escalated.
However, authorities were yet to confirm whether any arrests had been made as of the time of filing this report.
Efforts to contact the Lagos State Police spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, for an official reaction were unsuccessful.
Party officials had also not released any statement concerning the incident at the time of this report.
Political violence has continued to remain a major concern in Nigeria, especially during party primaries and elections, with clashes between rival supporters often resulting in casualties and destruction.
— Naija Street Matters
