Grassroots democracy suffered a significant setback on Thursday as suspected political thugs disrupted the inaugural session of the legislative arm of the Abeokuta North Local Government.

It was gathered that temper flared among some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in  the local government over the election of principal officers for the local government’s legislative house.

Some councillors, it was gathered, were being primed by certain party leaders to occupy the four principal leadership positions in the local government’s legislative house, and when the plan failed, a fiasco broke out leading to the disruption of legislative business.

The maze – the symbol of authority of the house – was reportedly taken away by unknown person. Sources said the ambitious councillors and their supporters were responsible for the breakdown of law and order at the chamber of the legislature.

A councilor in the local government, who volunteered information on the likely cause of the problem, said on condition of anonymity that the issues of conflicts among various stakeholders had been ironed out prior to the day of the inauguration of the house.

While not forthcoming on what the issues were, the councillor said, “It is quite unfortunate that despite the fact that a number of issues had been agreed on before the inauguration, the political actors decided to act differently.”

Another councillor expressed sadness that what happened on Thursday ought not to have happened if the appeals by concerned party leaders and stakeholders were not ignored.

“The incident that we saw was because appeals by the leaders of the party in the local government, Engr. Seni Ayorinde, Alhaja Faida Sarumi-Akintunde, Princess Ronke Ogunremi, Mr Adebayo (Alaga Mesan) and other party executives were defied. It was obvious that they are hellbent on pushing 2027 election agenda. This is premature; it is just few days after the swearing-In of the new chairman and councillors in the local government,” he lamented.

A party leader in the local government, who witnessed the drama at the legislative house, decried the incident as very unfortunate. “We had it on good authority that some party leaders came to the legislative house of our local government this morning to ensure their loyalists occupy the four principal offices in the legislative house. But when they realised that their loyalists will not emerge, they chose to disrupt the sitting process,”

The source alleged that the suspected supporters in their desperate bid to actualise their agenda, imported political thugs to unleash mayhem on staff of the local government and party faithful that came to witness the appointment of principal officers of the local government legislative arm.

“The party leaders came to witness the process of electing the principal officers of the house but no one knew that they had given order to their political thugs to unleash mayhem on staff and other party faithfuls at the local government secretariat once their favourite candidates did not emerge. This is quite unfortunate,” the source added.

Multiple sources said most of the councillors that were at the centre of the crisis had been  identified, while the APC leadership would take the appropriate action in due course.