Eight people die as bus carrying PDP supporters to campaign rally crashes in Benue State

NIGERIA'S ongoing political campaign suffered a terrible setback yesterday when a vehicle carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a political campaign crashed in Benue State resulting in the death of about eight persons.

In the fatal accident that occurred on the Otukpo-Agatu Road, the PDP supporters were travelling to Agatu for the flag-off of the Abba Morro senatorial campaign. Mr Moro, a former interior minister is the PDP senatorial candidate for Benue South and around 10am, the car taking his supporter to the rally crashed when the tyre of one of the buses conveying them burst and it veered off the road.

Other buses conveying party supporters were then said to have rammed into one another, resulting in the high casualty figure. Benue State governor Samuel Ortom and former senate president Senator David Mark visited the injured victims at St Francis Hospital in Adoka, in  Otukpo Local Government Area.

Following the accident Mr Morro was forced to cancel the campaign scheduled to hold in Agatu, Benue South. Some of the victims were certified dead at St Charles Catholic Hospital, Adoka and deposited at the morgue of General Hospital in Otukpo, while injured survivors were being treated in Adoka.

Governor Ortom described the incident as painful and unfortunate, saying it was a huge loss to the entire PDP family in the state. He also directed the immediate evacuation of the survivors to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital Makurdi for further treatment, stressing that cases requiring further referrals outside the state would be handled accordingly.

Describing the development as unfortunate, Governor Ortom commiserated with the bereaved families and PDP on the loss of their loved ones. Senator Mark, who also consoled the affected families, lamented that most of the victims were very promising youths within his senatorial district and prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest.

Hon Samson Okwu, the member representing Obi/Oju Federal Constituency, described the incident as painful, saying he met with some of the victims yesterday but never knew they were meeting for the last time.