VIDEO: Delegates teargassed, chaos at APC national convention as tumultuous crowd scatters police checkpoint at Eagle Square, Abuja
Police are trying to restore order to Eagle Square, the venue of today’s national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The venue can comfortably contain 4,000 persons but over 7,000 APC delegates are struggling for limited spaces.
Poor crowd control at the entrance to Eagle Square led to the felling of a police barricade mounted at an entrance to the venue where delegates are currently being accredited.
Police were searching participants before allowing them in. But delegates, contenders and party supporters who were struggling to find their way into the arena pushed down the barricade, creating chaotic scenes that were captured on video.
Police also fired teargas at the delegates and other attendees involved in the moments of chaos.
The main event will begin around 3:30 pm, Arise TV reported this afternoon.
The big players, including President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, party chieftain Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC governors and other top names are not expected at the Eagle Square before then.
At today’s convention, the party is expected to elect executives that will pilot its affairs ahead of the 2023 general election.
The following positions are up for grabs:
1. National chairman
2. National secretary
3. Deputy national secretary
4. National vice chairmen of the six zones
5. National organising secretary
6. National legal adviser
7. National financial secretary
8. National welfare secretary
9. National treasurer
10. National publicity secretary
11. National auditor
12. National women leader
13. National youth leader
14. Leader of persons living with disabilities
15. Deputy national financial secretary
16. Deputy national legal adviser
17. Deputy national treasurer
18. Deputy welfare secretary
19. Deputy national publicity secretary
20. Deputy national auditor
21. Deputy national women leader
22. Deputy national youth leader
23. Zonal secretaries of the six zones
24. Zonal youth leaders in the six zones
25. Zonal organising secretaries across all zones and the six ex-officio members
