Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has denied involvement in the violent attack on the state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engineer Ade Adetimehin, and other party leaders during a meeting at the party’s secretariat in Akure.
The governor attributed the violence to political aspirants jostling for party positions, who allegedly imported thugs to disrupt the stakeholders’ meeting.
Armed men, suspected to be linked with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), invaded the APC secretariat on Tuesday, injuring several leaders including Hon Otito Atikase, former Deputy Speaker Hon Abayomi Akinruntan, the chairman’s driver Friday Ogbaide, former local government chairman Hon Dayo Akinsuroju, and former commissioners Hon Saka-Yusuf Ogunleye and Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju.
Some party leaders had accused Governor Aiyedatiwa of sponsoring the attack. However, speaking after a reconvened stakeholders’ meeting, the governor insisted he was not involved and described APC as “a family” in which he could not authorize such violence.
“I got a call from the party chairman about the meeting and approved it to hold at 2 p.m., as I was attending a stakeholder’s 50th birthday celebration,” Aiyedatiwa explained. “Later, I was informed of miscreants around the secretariat, and I immediately contacted the Commissioner of Police to ensure security. The police secured the secretariat, and we held a peaceful meeting thereafter.”
The governor further noted that there was no formal meeting at the secretariat earlier on Tuesday. He said the disruption was caused by supporters of various aspirants attempting to create chaos before the official meeting.
Following the incident, Aiyedatiwa directed the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Security (DSS) to ensure peaceful conduct during the ongoing congresses to elect grassroots party officials.
During the stakeholders’ meeting, the Ward Congress Committee, led by Chief Margaret Aruruenu and Barrister Smart Iheazor, briefed party leaders on the preparations for the congress exercise. Members of the Screening Committee, Screening Appeals Committee, and Congress Appeals Committee from the national secretariat also attended, assuring party leaders of their commitment to conduct elections in line with party guidelines and constitution.
APC leaders from the Northern, Central, and Southern senatorial districts praised the peaceful conduct of the screening exercise and encouraged party members to maintain decorum during the congress. The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji, commended the committees’ efforts and assured a peaceful exercise across Ondo State.
