Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has firmly denied any connection to the violent disruption at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Akure, where the state chairman, Engineer Ade Adetimehin, and several other party leaders were assaulted. The Governor described the incident as the work of hoodlums allegedly brought in by various aspirants competing for party positions, rather than a state-sponsored attack.
The trouble began on Tuesday when armed thugs, suspected to be linked to the transport union, stormed the secretariat during a stakeholders’ meeting. The ensuing chaos left a long list of prominent party members injured, including NDDC board member Hon. Otito Atikase, former Deputy Speaker Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan, and several former commissioners. While some of the victims suggested the attackers were acting on the Governor’s orders, Aiyedatiwa maintained that such claims are entirely baseless.
Addressing the situation after a rescheduled meeting at the same venue, the Governor explained that he views the APC as a family and would never authorize violence against his own colleagues. Aiyedatiwa noted that the meeting had been moved to 2 p.m. to accommodate a cabinet member’s 50th birthday celebration. He clarified that he only became aware of the unrest via a phone call and immediately contacted the Commissioner of Police to secure the area.
Aiyedatiwa pointed out that he and other top officials, including the Speaker, were actually at a social function when the initial fracas broke out. He argued that the “miscreants” involved were likely supporters of different interests who clashed among themselves before the official proceedings could even begin. Once security forces cleared the area and the secretariat was secured, the Governor arrived to lead what he described as a peaceful and productive session.
Moving forward, the Governor has instructed the police and the DSS to maintain a high level of security across the state to ensure that the ward and local government congresses proceed without further hitches. Meanwhile, the Ward Congress Committee, led by Chief Margaret Aruruenu, has assured party members that the elections will be conducted strictly according to the party’s constitution. Other party stalwarts and the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, echoed this sentiment, expressing confidence that the rest of the exercise will remain orderly.
