Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Borno State yesterday held its gubernatorial primary with instruction to security agencies at the venue not to allow media houses except the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) access to the hall of the election.
LEADERSHIP reports that when most of the print journalists arrived Foresham Hotel, the venue of the election, on entering, a security man accosted them and enquired for their identity, but despite identifying themselves, the security man who is of the counter- terrorism section of the police ordered the journalists out of the venue.
On further probing the security personnel on reason for not allowing the journalists into the venue, he said that the party leadership gave the instruction that journalists apart from NTA are not allowed to enter the venue of the primary.
When one of the journalists brought out his mobile phone to take photographs of delegates who had lined up for the voting, another policeman threatened to smash the phone if any picture was taken.
When the journalists approached the party chairman, Mr Zanna Gadamma for his reaction, he denied that such instruction was not given to anyone against any media house.
Gadamma however failed to lead the journalists into the venue to counter the order the security men at the gate claimed was given to them against journalists.
Our correspondent also observed commotion between some of the delegates and the police at the venue with some of the delegates claiming that the list had been manipulated to favour the party leadership candidate.
Bukar Petrol, an agent of one of the gubernatorial candidates and a national delegate of PDP alleged that what was happening was an internal party crisis that was instigated by the party machinery.
"We are not happy about what is happening. We thought we were one family. We thought we could come here and exercise our right to aspire for a certain position with the PDP. But it seems that the PDP in Borno State is just out to play someone's card. We really don't understand," he said.
