Bloodbath In Shendam, Plateau State Over NURTW Election; Group Accuses Gov. Lalong Over Crisis

Yakubu Busari

The election of the local chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Yelwa , Shendam Local Government Council of Plateau state  today turned bloody, as the leadership accused Governor Simon Bako Lalong of causing the mayhem by for imposing Alh. Yusuf Katungu as the Chairman.

The crisis led to destruction of properties and houses being torched as a result of the incident on Thursday afternoon.

Our correspondent gathered that Yelwa village of Shendam local government area of the state where the leadership crisis was engaged also rocked the natives bringing hatred among the residents.

According to eyes witness, the crisis emerged following the swearing in of Yusuf Katungu as the new chairman of branch two of NURTW in the area who was rejected by a group in the union.

The embattled chairman who was said to be Governor Simon Lalong’s tribesmen and who come from the same village was alleged to have enjoyed the backing of the state leadership of NUTRW and APC from the LGA before the election, alleging that money was used to induce the electoral officials.

But when contacted on the allegation, the state secretary of NUTRTW and secretary of electoral committee, Adamu Idris, debunked the allegation, describing it as a false one.

He refused to admit any irregularity in the conduct of election of the branch two chairman of the union, adding that no money was given to him or anybody involved in the process.

Idris explained what transpired before the conduct of election, stressing there is   petition by a faction of branch two of the union in Yelwa to the DPO of Shendam LGA, accusing the state electoral committee of siding with elected chairman,  Yusuf Katungu, to the detriment of the other candidate, Alh. Ibrahim Kano.

According to the state secretary, Alh. Ibrahim Kano who claimed to be a nominee did not even buy the nomination form in which he said has disqualified him from participating in the election.

He said that was why Yusuf Katungu being the only nominee was sworn in as the chairman.

He said everything was done in the presence of the DPO.

On the support  by the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the embattled chairman, the party chairman of Shedam LGA, Auwal Hamza, also in his reaction debunked the allegation, saying there was nothing of such nature and that every was done in the presence of the DPO.

He further said that himself and his party had no business in the election,” Saying he was only involved by the DPO as a stakeholders from Yelwa when the issue became hot”.