Violence shattered what should have been a routine internal exercise for the All Progressives Congress in Idanre on Wednesday as at least two people were killed and several others injured during ward congresses held across the state.
The bloodshed unfolded in Idanre Local Government Area where reports say hoodlums moved through wards firing sporadically and attacking party members. A vehicle was set alight during the chaos and residents fled for safety as gunshots rang out across the town.
Among the most grievous outcomes was the near fatal attack on Raphael Adetimehin younger brother of the state APC chairman Engr Ade Adetimehin. Mr Adetimehin said his brother was shot and cut with a machete after assailants who bore him no ill will at first apparently mistook him for the chairman because of their close 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,” Engr Adetimehin said.
The chairman told our correspondent that Raphael is presently in a coma at a private hospital. He appealed to the national leadership of the party and asked federal authorities to intervene. He described the situation as politically motivated sponsorship of violence against party members.
The unrest appears to be a direct spillover of an incident at the party secretariat in Akure the state capital less than 24 hours earlier.
On Tuesday suspected political thugs disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting presided over by the state chairman injuring several participants and forcing an abrupt end to proceedings. Elders and party stalwarts later condemned that attack.
Local residents and party sources said the Idanre congress could not hold in some wards as suspected thugs invaded venues and chased away delegates.
The full motive for the attacks remains unclear. This is the status at the time of filing this report. However, party insiders blamed rival power brokers. They alleged the use of hired muscle to influence internal outcomes.
The Ondo State Police Command acknowledged reports of violence and said it was investigating. When contacted the command’s spokesperson said he would provide an update after official enquiries but had not given a full statement by press time.
The killings and injuries mark an alarming escalation in intra party conflict in Ondo and come as the APC prepares to renew its internal structures across 203 wards in the state.
Observers warned that if unchecked such violence will damage the party’s public standing and undermine its ability to present a united front ahead of wider national contests.
Civil society organisations and faith leaders in the state called for calm and for the security agencies to bring perpetrators to account.
The state chairman urged restraint from party members and asked that all grievances be resolved through established party mechanisms rather than violence.
This episode raises immediate questions about the security arrangements for internal political processes and the degree to which local rivalries now spill into lethal confrontation.
For a party that claims to value order and democratic practice the images of burning vehicles and bloodied wards in Idanre will be a bitter and costly reminder of the price of political impunity.
As investigations continue the national leadership of the party and security agencies face an urgent test. Addressing the root causes of the unrest and prosecuting those responsible will be essential steps to restore confidence and prevent further bloodshed.
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