At least two people were reportedly killed on Wednesday after violence broke out during the ward congress of the All Progressives Congress in Idanre, Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Several others sustained injuries in the clash, which also saw a vehicle set ablaze. The disturbance followed closely on the heels of another disruption less than 24 hours earlier, when suspected political thugs invaded a stakeholders’ meeting at the party’s secretariat in Akure. That meeting was chaired by the state APC chairman, Ade Adetimehin.
Sources in Idanre said the ward congress could not proceed in some areas after hoodlums allegedly descended on party members, creating chaos and forcing the exercise to stall. As of press time, the exact trigger of the violence had yet to be determined.
One of those affected was identified as Raphael Adetimehin, said to be a brother of the state chairman. He was reportedly attacked in his ward during the unrest.
Confirming the incident, Ade Adetimehin said his brother was assaulted by individuals who allegedly mistook him for the chairman due to their resemblance.
“My brother was attacked; those who attacked him thought I was the one because we resemble each other very well. After shooting and macheting him, they left him when they thought he was dead. I don’t know why we are playing our politics to this extent,” he stated.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said he would provide further details later.
The incident underscores rising tensions within the Ondo chapter of the APC as the party prepares for its internal reorganisation. On Tuesday, suspected thugs had earlier stormed the party secretariat in Akure, disrupting a stakeholders’ meeting, injuring participants, and abruptly halting proceedings.
