Workers employed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lafia, Nasarawa state, held the state party chairman, Chief Yunana K. Iliya and other members of the state working committee hostage for several hours.
The workers were protesting the non-payment of their salaries for three months.
Apart from the chairman, others who were held hostage include PDP members of the House of Assembly, Hon. Muhammad Okpede, representing Doma North, Hon. Peter Mbucho representing Akwanga North and Hon.Muhammed Muluku, representing Nasarawa Eggon East
The workers said that they took the decision to lock up the party leaders in the secretariat along Jos road in Lafia because they have been pushed to a wall. They said they were left with no other option than to fight for their rights and react violently.
A worker who spoke to journalists said that even though the party generated a lot of revenue in the buildup to the last election, the leadership refused to pay them their entitlements.
“None of them will move out of this secretariat until they settle our three months entitlements,” he said.
It took the intervention of the police to calm the situation after persuading the angry workers to release their hostages for negotiation.
After the police intervened, the chairman, other executive members of the party and some stakeholders of the party held a close door meeting with the protesting workers.
