Ondo: Bloodbath averted at Akure APC secretariat

The timely intervention of the Nigeria Police Force, Thursday prevented the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, from leading to bloodbath and deaths.

This is as the the crisis over the choice of the party’s candidate for the state’s governorship election continues to defy solutions, as members of the party belonging to opposing factions engaged in a free for all at the party secretariat in Akure.

The day was saved by the Police, which hurriedly deployed an Armored Personnel Carrier, APC, to the secretariat with men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, on hand to disperse the warring party supporters.

The Akure Area Commander, Olatoye Durosimi and the DCP, Operations, Edward Ajogun, led over 20 policemen to the scene to prevent bloodshed.

According to reports, all hell was let loose when some supporters of the two factions stormed the secretariat located at Oyemekun road.

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Those loyal to some aggrieved governorship aspirants led by Saka Yusuf Ogunleye, which earlier sacked the state chairman of the party, Hon Isaac Kekemeke on Tuesday, were at the secretariat to take over the building.
The attempt by the Ogunleye group, who were armed with dangerous weapons, was however rebuffed by those loyal to Kekemeke.

Reports say Kekemeke’s supporters, who had kept vigil at the secretariat, chased the supporters of the Ogunleye faction, who fled in different directions.

Gunshots were fired sporadically leading to a stampede while the busy Oyemekun road was deserted for about 20 minutes until police stationed at the secretariat reinforced.

It would be recalled that the APC in Ondo State has been engulfed in crisis over allegations that a particular aspirant is being imposed on the party in the state by a prominent APC leader in the Southwest.

The aggrieved party members and other aspirants also accused Kekemeke of towing the line of the APC leader in trying to impose the aspirant on the party.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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