Suspected political thugs reportedly stormed the secretariat of the All-Progressives Congress in Ondo State, assaulting several party leaders, including state chairman Ade Adetimehin and other stakeholders.
The incident occurred Tuesday in Akure during what party officials described as a routine stakeholders’ meeting ahead of the ward congress, according to a report by Daily Trust.
Among those said to have sustained injuries were a board member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Hon. Otito Atikase, former lawmaker Success Torhukerhojo, ex-Deputy Speaker Abayomi Akinruntan, Adetimehin’s driver Friday Ogbaide, former Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo council chairman Dayo Akinsuroju, and former commissioner Saka-Yusuf Ogunleye.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants, armed with sticks, machetes and other crude weapons, suddenly forced their way into the meeting venue, shouting threats and ordering attendees to leave.
The disruption caused panic as party members fled the premises, some taking refuge in nearby buildings while others hurried away in vehicles. Residents around the secretariat also reported confusion as the situation escalated.
Adetimehin explained that the gathering was meant to prepare for the party’s ward congress and to meet members of the congress committee from Abuja. He said the meeting was one of the requirements set for the exercise before it was violently halted.
According to him, the attackers allegedly included members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. He claimed he was pushed to the ground, beaten and robbed of two phones and his wristwatch, adding that several party members were hospitalised.
Some party chieftains alleged the attackers claimed to be acting in support of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and opposed holding the congress, though no official response had been issued by the governor’s camp at the time of reporting.
Another party leader present described the violence as unprecedented in the state’s political history, warning that the use of thugs to settle internal disputes could destabilise party politics.
As of the latest reports, authorities had yet to announce arrests or provide further official clarification on the incident
