…elders of the Ondo State APC strongly condemned Tuesday’s attack on the party secretariat in Akure, where about 15 elders were reportedly injured and hospitalised.
ONDO, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The All Progressives Congress (APC) ongoing ward congress in Ondo State turned violent on Wednesday, leaving two people dead and several others injured in Idanre Local Government Area.
The unrest occurred less than 24 hours after suspected political thugs stormed the party’s secretariat in Akure, disrupting a stakeholders’ meeting led by the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin. During that attack, Adetimehin and other party leaders were reportedly assaulted, leaving many members injured.
Fresh reports on Wednesday indicated that the congress failed to hold in parts of Idanre following another attack by suspected hoodlums on party members. Vehicles were allegedly set ablaze during the violence. As of press time, the cause of the crisis remained unclear.
One of the victims was identified as the brother of the APC chairman, Raphael Adetimehin, who was reportedly attacked at his ward in Idanre. Confirming the incident, Adetimehin said the assailants may have mistaken his brother for him due to their striking resemblance.
According to him, his brother was shot and macheted, while his vehicle was set on fire.
“My brother was attacked because they thought he was me. After shooting and stabbing him, they abandoned him, assuming he was dead. I don’t understand why politics should be taken to this level,” he lamented.
The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed that two persons were killed and three others injured in the Idanre attack, which occurred around 11 a.m. He also confirmed that a vehicle was burnt.
Jimoh stated that the Commissioner of Police, alongside the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, CC Oluyemi Ibiloye, led a joint team of security operatives to the scene, restoring calm in the area.
He added that the injured victims are receiving medical attention, while investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible. The police assured residents that additional tactical teams have been deployed to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, elders of the Ondo State APC under the PBAT Mandate Elders Forum strongly condemned Tuesday’s attack on the party secretariat in Akure, where about 15 elders were reportedly injured and hospitalised.
In a statement signed by the forum’s chairman, Pa Erastus Akeju, the elders described the incident as a grave violation of democratic norms, party discipline, and the rule of law. They decried what they termed the violent humiliation of the APC state chairman and other Party leaders by individuals posing as political actors.
Akeju called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, urging him to uphold democratic values and ensure accountability within the party. He also appealed to the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, and the National Working Committee to conduct a thorough investigation and impose appropriate sanctions.
He stressed that violence and intimidation have no place in politics, noting that the APC was founded on democratic ideals, dialogue, and respect for constituted authority.
“An attack on party leaders within the secretariat undermines the very foundation of political order,” the statement read, warning that silence in the face of such brutality could encourage further impunity and chaos.
