Violence erupted at the Ondo State secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday as suspected hoodlums stormed a stakeholders’ meeting, assaulting the state chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, and several senior party officials.
Among those injured were the state’s representative on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board, Hon. Otito Atikase; former lawmaker, Hon. Success Torhukerhojo; former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan; former Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government chairman, Hon. Dayo Akinsuroju; and former commissioner, Hon. Saka-Yusuf Ogunleye. The chairman’s driver, Friday Ogbaide, was also reportedly beaten during the attack.
The meeting, convened to finalise arrangements for the party’s Ward Congress scheduled to commence Wednesday, was abruptly disrupted when armed thugs allegedly invaded the venue wielding sticks, machetes and other crude weapons.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as the attackers forced their way into the premises, shouting threats and ordering attendees to vacate the secretariat. Party members fled in panic, with some seeking refuge in nearby buildings while others escaped in speeding vehicles.
Adetimehin said the stakeholders’ meeting was held at the instance of Congress Committee members deployed from Abuja as part of preparations for the Ward Congress.
Recounting his ordeal, the APC chairman alleged that the assailants accused party leaders of challenging the authority of the state governor and insisted that they did not want the congress to hold.
“They came in force and ordered everyone to leave, claiming the governor owns the party. We told them we were not challenging anyone’s authority, but they attacked us. They dragged me to the floor, beat me and took my two phones and wristwatch,” he said.
According to him, the attackers also fired shots intermittently, leaving several members hospitalised. He added that when they could not overpower him further, they turned on his driver, inflicting serious injuries.
Many of the victims are currently receiving medical attention, while tension remains high within party ranks over the incident and the fate of the scheduled Ward Congress.
