Tension gripped Akure on Tuesday as suspected hoodlums invaded the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), abruptly disrupting a stakeholders’ meeting and allegedly assaulting top party officials, including the Ondo State Chairman, Ade Adetimehin.
The attackers, reportedly armed with sticks, machetes and other crude weapons, stormed the party office in the Ondo State capital, forcing members present at the meeting to flee for safety. The disruption brought the gathering to an immediate halt.
Speaking after the incident, Adetimehin alleged that he was severely beaten during the attack and accused members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state of orchestrating the invasion.
According to him, the meeting was convened to lay the groundwork for the party’s forthcoming ward congress.
“They came in force this morning and ordered everybody to leave. They claimed the governor owns the party,” Adetimehin said.
“We told them we were not challenging anybody’s authority, but they attacked us. They dragged me to the floor. I didn’t bother; they took away my two phones from my pocket, along with my wristwatch.”
The APC chairman further disclosed that his personal driver was also assaulted during the fracas. Several other party officials reportedly sustained injuries and have been taken to the hospital for medical attention.
The incident has heightened concerns over internal party tensions ahead of the ward congress, a critical stage in the party’s grassroots political structure.
As of the time of filing this report, the police in Ondo State had yet to issue an official statement on the attack or confirm any arrests in connection with the incident.
