Minister’s guards in gun drama as vote ends in disarray in Jowhar
Six delegates escaped death by a whisker while two people among them son of the region’s president and a woman were injured in deadly exchange of fire in Jowhar following disputed results during lower house polls Friday evening.
A delegate who was among the survivors in a harrowing tale narrated to Goobjoog News how the car they were in was sprayed with bullets from a rival group after voting was put off.
“Things went out of hand after the poll results were announced after some of the delegates from both sides fought. the ports Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Nuhu got 23 votes while his opponent, Ahmed Sheikh Nur garnered 24 and the other candidate Nur Obo’or 3 votes. One vote was spoilt. Suddenly a fight erupted outside hall forcing security forces to intervene,” the delegate who did not want to be identified said.
A candidates is declared winner if he or she gets 50+1 of the total vote cast.
Following the development, the delegate said, the electoral body announced a second round would have to be postponed till further notice.
“Shortly as we boarded our car and waiting to leave, we came under a fierce gun attack from security guards allied to the Minister. Several bullets hit our car. I thought I was dead as bullets continued hitting our car,” he said.
Fortunately none of us was hurt and we managed to pull out of the car. They demanded we produce guns but we said we didn’t have any and they left,” the delegate added.
The son of HirShabelle vice President Hussein Goodlawe was injured alongside a woman said to be a resident of area both caught in the cross fire.
The delegates were later escorted to their destinations by the local police. This is the first major incident since the elections started mid last month. There was a scuffle in Galmudug this past week but it was handled by security forces.
The State Indirect Electoral Implementation Team in Jowhar said they would deliberate on the matter before deciding when the second round of the vote would be conducted.