Politics

Akeredolu, Abraham supporters on rampage, bloody each other

Published

8 years ago

October 5, 2016

Akeredolu, Abraham supporters on rampage, bloody each other

A bloody clash between supporters of Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) and Segun Abraham has deepened the party crisis ahead of the state November 26 governorship election.

Akure, the state capital was thrown into pandemonium when supporters of Akeredolu and Abraham, who came second in the state party disputed primaries, brandished offensive weapons and fought in front of the APC Secretariat at Oyemekun Road.

The fight which reportedly led to the temporary closure of the popular road left supporters from the two sides with varying injuries with properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

The supporters were dispersed by the intervention of soldiers and armed police officers, who shot sporadically into the air.

Trouble was said to have started when loyalists of Abraham from the 18 local governments met at the party’s secretariat and embarked on peaceful protest demanding the resignation of the party’s national Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, for overruling the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC), which called for fresh shadow election.

Abraham’s supporters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, were also demanding that Akeredolu should step down for Abraham as the election that brought him up was marred with fraud.

However, the protest is said to have turned into a bloody clash when Akeredolu’s loyalists attacked the protesters while they were rounding off the protest at the party’s secretariat.

Weapons, including cutlasses, axes and charms, were used during the clash.

Abraham and Akeredolu it was learnt were later invited by the Commissioner of Police Mrs. Hilda Harrison and addressing his supporters at his residence in Akure after the parley with the police Abraham urged them to remain calm and promised them that he would use every means possible within the law, to ensure he reclaims his supposed stolen mandate.

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