Scores Dead as two Politician Clashes In Ondo State Nigeria

Physinews: Business activities in Akure, the Ondo State
capital, was paralyzed for three hours as
supporters of the All Progressives Congress,
APC, governorship aspirant, Mr. Segun
Abraham and those of the party’s flag bearer,
Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, clashed.

Abraham was said to have mobilised his
supporters from Ikare-Akoko to protest against
the candidature of Akeredolu, which caused
gridlock for several hours at the popular Oba-
Adesida/Oyemekun road.

Scores of supporters and passersby sustained
injuries.
Sources within the party said a national leader
of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu has
allegedly directed Abraham and his supporters
to continue to protest against Akeredolu since
he was said to have asked Chief Olusola Oke to
decamp to Alliance for Democracy,
It will be recalled that Tinubu had been in a
loggerhead with the national leadership of APC
since his godson, Abraham lost the party’s
ticket for the Ondo governorship election.
Abraham’s supporters, armed with placards
bearing inscriptions such as “With Abraham we
stand” “Restore Abraham’s mandate”
“Abraham is APC’s candidate” and “ Abraham
is the authentic winner of September 3
primary”, moved from Fiwaye Rounabout to the
party secretariat.
On getting to the secretariat, the leader of the
protesters, Mr Enas Mohammed addressed
reporters where he gave reasons for the
rejection of Akeredolu as the candidate of the
party.

He said the appeal committee set up by the
National Working Committee of the party had
ordered for rerun of the primary.
He added that Abraham should be restored as
authentic candidate of the party.

Pandemonium was said to have broken out
when supporters of Abraham allegedly
destroyed posters of Akeredolu.
This was said to have infuriated loyalists of
Akeredolu, thereby disrupting the protest.

It was gathered that some policemen, men of
the National Security and Civil Defence Corps,
NSCDC, and journalists ran for their lives.
The security personnel had to stay about 200
meters away from the party secretariat in order
to escape the dangerous weapons used by the
rival groups.

But the party’s Publicity Secretary, Omooba
Abayomi Adesanya described the protesters
protesting against Akeredolu’s candidature as
hired hungry youths from Kogi, Ekiti and Edo
states who could do anything for just N2000.

Adesanya, in a statement, said, “we reliably
gathered that these people, who are majorly
youths and students were hired from
neighboring states and tertiary institutions after
been given N2000 each and were mobilized to
Akure, the state capital, to create an
unnecessary scene and disrupting the peace
we enjoy in the State.

“The protesters are not our Party members. We
do not have hooligans in our Party. All our
member have accepted the decision of the
Party on Akeredolu’s candidature and are in
various units and wards across the state
mobilizing for the Party and its candidate. The
Party is supreme and its decision is binding on
all members irrespective of status. The public
should disregard them and security agencies
should do the needful,” the statement read.