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The senator representing Nassarawa South Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly, Suleiman Adokwe, survived an attack by hoodlums on Sunday in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Mr Adokwe, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Information, said he was attacked at St. Williams Primary School Lafia, the collation Centre for Gayam Ward during the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.
The lawmaker said the incident occurred when he went to confirm reports from his agents that government officials were at the collation centre trying to influence the result of the polls.
Mr Adokwe is seeking his fourth term at the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is being challenged by the outgoing governor of the state, Umaru Al-Makura, who is contesting on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said all through Saturday night, he had also been getting reports of ballot materials stealing and stuffing across the zone.
“When my agent at the Gayam Ward collation Centre, Lafia, called at about 1:00 p.m. to intimate me of the presence of some state government officials there, I decided to go there and see things for myself.
“On sighting me, some hoodlums around the centre began shouting that I should go away, that I was not from Lafia and as such I did not belong there.
“Before I could understand what was happening, they started rushing at me with clubs, stones, and spear. It took divine intervention for me to escape with my life,” he said.
He decried the violent dimension the electoral process in the state was taking and called on the Police to act accordingly to restore normalcy.
Mr Adokwe, however, said he had reported the attempt on his life to the Police.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Bola Longe, confirmed the senator called to inform him of the incident.
Mr Longe promised to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
He reiterated the commitment of the police to providing maximum security to all law-abiding citizens of the state.