It was meant to be a congress to elect officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 203 political wards in Ondo State. But it turned bloody as two people were confirmed dead and several others injured in clashes that characterised the elective congress of the ruling party. BABATOPE OKEOWO reports on the bloodbath that marred the APC ward congress

For two days, members of the APC engaged one other over who would control the structures of the party at the grassroots levels.

Although the delegate system has been abolished in the new Electoral Act, the control of the party at the Ward and Local Government levels would enable those who have control to determine who gets what during the primaries to determine the candidates of the party.

Trouble began on Tuesday when the state chairman of APC, Engr Ade Adetimehin summoned a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss the modalities for the congress the following day. The State Executive Council of the party and the congress committee deployed to the state from the national secretariat of the party were to meet with critical stakeholders of the party.

As the stakeholders were seated waiting for the arrival of the governor, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, some hoodlums suspected to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) stormed the secretariat along the Akure/Ilesha Road, and beat those in the hall black and blue. Irrespective of age, the hoodlums beat those seated and injured many of them.

They injured Adetimehin, top members, and officials of the party. Others injured during the fracas during the stakeholders meeting included the member representing the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Hon Otito Atikase, former lawmaker, Hon Success Torhukerhojo, former Deputy Speaker, Hon Abayomi Akinruntan, driver of the chairman, Friday Ogbaide, former chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government, Hon Dayo Akinsuroju, and former Commissioner, Hon Saka-Yusuf Ogunleye.

The crisis began when the armed thugs reportedly stormed the meeting of the APC, forcing party members to flee in panic and abruptly halting the gathering. Party officials had assembled for what was described as a routine stakeholders’ meeting.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers, armed with sticks, machetes, and other crude weapons, and invaded the premises suddenly, shouting and threatening participants. Attendees reportedly scattered in different directions to escape the violence, while the meeting venue was abandoned within minutes.

Several party officials and supporters were said to have taken cover in nearby buildings, while others fled the area entirely. Residents near the secretariat described scenes of confusion as party members rushed out of the premises. Some vehicles reportedly sped off as attendees attempted to leave the area before the situation escalated further.

Speaking after his attack, Adetimehin said he had met with the members of the Congress Committee sent from Abuja to oversee the Congress, and one of the conditions was the meeting which was disrupted by hoodlums.

The APC chairman said he was thrown to the ground and beaten severely by the hoodlums, whom he identified as NURTW members.

His words “They came in force this morning and ordered everybody to leave. They claimed the governor owns the party. 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. All they are saying is that they will kill and they were shooting periodically, many of our members were in the hospital for treatment.

When they knew they could not harm me, they went for my driver and beat him seriously. A lot of people were wounded. Their demand they were making when they came was that they didn’t want Congress.”

The blame game

Former Commissioners who escaped from the scene, Mrs. Yetunde Adeyanju and Yusuf-Ogunleye said the hoodlums led by the leadership of NURTW, were sponsored by Governor Aiyedatiwa to prevent the stakeholders’ meeting from taking place.

A chieftain of the party who escaped the attack, and Director General of Asiwaju Mandate Group (AMG), Chief Muyiwa Asagunla said the governor and his handlers should not drag the state backwards when political thugs were used to settle scores.

His words “I pray this government in power, led by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, won’t take us back to Egypt. I was there physically, upstairs at the Secretariat. We got there, sat down, and some hoodlums led by the leadership of NURTW.

About 200 of them. They just moved in. “They shouted ‘Everybody inside the hall, get out!’ We don’t want to hold any congress here. We don’t want to see anybody here. The governor has said that there is not going to be a congress. Get out! Get out! So, everybody, the elderly, young, everybody started running.

In fact, you need to see the way they were banging chairs, hitting people with chairs. Somebody like Chief Bode Sumonu almost fell. I had to pull him back because they were almost trampling on him. I had to pull him up.

Somebody like Chief Demola Ijabiyi, the cap that he wore, that one went somewhere else. So, people were beaten blue and black.”

In his remarks, Atikase said “I have never seen this in the politics of Ondo State. And it is a dangerous dimension. What they are bringing to Ondo State politics is a dangerous dimension.

It is not part of our culture, where party leaders will sit down, stakeholders will sit down to hold meetings for the progress of the party, and someone somewhere will go and organize thugs to come and beat them up.

It is very embarrassing, the way they embarrass the chairman of the party today. In fact, you will weep if you are there. So that is the situation. And all I can say is that the Governor is behind the scenes facilitator of this thuggery.”

Parallel stakeholders’ meeting

Later that evening after the initial stakeholders’ meeting was disrupted, Aiyedatiwa was flanked by top government officials and the congress committee came to the APC secretariat to attend their own stakeholders’ meeting.

Those who attended the meeting included the Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami, Director of NDDC, Hon Ifedayo Abegunde, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, and other members of the Assembly. Speaking after the reconvened meeting, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa denied involvement in the fracas that led to the beating of the chairman, Engr Adetimehin, and injury of top leaders of the party.

The governor accused aspirants jostling for various party positions of importing hoodlums who disrupted the stakeholders’ meeting and injured several party leaders. Aiyedatiwa stated that he had no involvement in the crisis that erupted during the earlier stakeholders’ meeting, which was disrupted by hoodlums.

According to him, APC is a family and he could not have authorised the beating or injury of family members who were gathered for a meeting.

His words “I got a call from the party chairman, who is Ade Adetimehin, that there is going to be a stakeholders’ meeting, which I also approved, but I told them it should be fixed for 2 p.m. because I was attending the 50th birthday of one of the stakeholders, who is a cabinet member of our party.

I said the meeting should be fixed for about 2 p.m. “Normally, we have stakeholders’ meetings and as the governor, I am always in attendance, alongside the Speaker and the Deputy Governor. All of us are always present at every stakeholders’ meeting.

In the first quarter of this year, we had one in January before the anniversary of the state. We had 60 people per local government. But this one was an impromptu stakeholders’ meeting because of the congresses at the ward and local government levels.

“As I said, the meeting was shifted to 2 p.m. because it was initially fixed for 10 a.m., and I said I would not be able to make it at that time.

Later on, I got a call from one of them saying there were some problems around, or some miscreants around the party secretariat. I asked him to call the Commissioner of Police, and I also called the Commissioner of Police myself to ensure the place was protected because I was going to attend the meeting.

I asked that security operatives be deployed to protect the place. ‎Later, I got to know that some miscreants who had sympathy for one aspirant or the other, those who are contesting for one position or the other, were moving around and trying to create some kind of fracas among themselves, which led to some disturbance.”

The Ward Congress Committee led by Chief Margaret Aruruenu (Chairman) and Barrister Smart Iheazor (Secretary), briefed the party leaders on the preparations for the exercise.

Both Aruruenu and Iheazor assured the party leaders that the various Congress Committees would perform their duties in line with the set guidelines and constitution of the party.

Members of the three other committees from the national secretariat – Screening Committee, Screening Appeals Committee, and Congress Appeals Committee – were also present at the meeting.

Bloody Congress

Three people were feared killed and several others injured in Idanre and Akure North local government area during the congress that was held on Wednesday.

In Idanre local government, it was gathered that the election in most of the wards was characterised by violence and shooting by suspected political thugs.

It was reported that the crisis began when the two political rivals insisted on electing their loyalists to gain control of ward executives in the council area.

However, weapons were freely used by party supporters leaving many with injuries while some of the victims sustained life-threatening wounds.

Three of the supporters of the gladiators sustained injuries that led to the death of some of them. In Akure North local government, several party leaders and members were injured during the fracas over the control of the executives at the ward levels.

A former commissioner and Director General (DG) of Grassroots Movement For Tinubu (GMT), Hon Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye said he and his supporters escaped death by the whiskers during the ward Congress in the council area.

Police reaction

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abayomi Jimoh who confirmed the incident said operatives of the state command have been deployed to the restive areas. He confirmed the death of two people in Idanre Local Government.

The police spokesman said; “The Ondo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that it received a distress call from DPO Idanre regarding violent acts perpetrated by a group of individuals within the State on 18th February, 2026 at about 1105hrs.

The report necessitated a prompt operational response from officers of the Command. In a swift reaction, the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal immediately deployed tactical teams to reinforce the existing security apparatus on the ground.

Subsequently, the Commissioner of Police, alongside the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), CC Oluyemi Ibiloye, personally led a combined team of security operatives to the scene.

Their timely intervention ensured the restoration of peace and order in the affected area. During the incident, five persons yet to be identified were reportedly attacked, and a vehicle was set ablaze.

Three victims sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently receiving medical attention, while two others were confirmed dead at the hospital. The Commissioner of Police visited the injured victims to assess their condition and assured them of the Command’s support.