Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has denied sponsoring the attack and beating of the state chairman of the All Progressive Congress , Engineer Ade Adetimehin and other party leaders during a meeting at the party’s Secretariat.

Aiyedatiwa who denied involvement in the attack fingered aspirants jostling for various party positions of importing hoodlums who disrupted the stakeholders’ meeting and injured several party leaders.

Armed political thugs suspected to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had on tuesday invaded the party’s secretariat in Akure, attacked and injured the state chairman of the party and other party leaders.

Others injured during the attack include the member representing the state on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Hon Otito Atikase, former Deputy Speaker, Hon Abayomi Akinruntan, driver of the chairman, Friday Ogbaide, former chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo local government, Hon Dayo Akinsuroju, former Commissioner, Hon Saka-Yusuf Ogunleye, Hon Demola ljabiyi, Chief Bode Sunmonu and Barrister Sola Ajisafe.

The leaders including Atikase and former Commissioners , Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju and Yusuf-Ogunleye, alleged that the thugs led by the Chairman of NURTW, Mr Ademola Odudu, were sponsored by the state governor, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Speaking after the reconvened stakeholders’ meeting at the same party’s Secretariat, the governor stated that he had no involvement in the earlier crisis that erupted during the meeting, which was disrupted by thugs allegedly sponsored by aspirants vying for positions.

Aiyedatiwa said that “APC is a family, and l could not have authorised the beating or injury of family members who were gathered for a meeting.

“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 state’s anniversary.

“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, as I was going to attend the meeting. I asked that security operatives be deployed to protect the place.

• Ondo APC Congress Violence

Discords within Ondo APC again reared it’s head as violence broke out today, Wednesday, during the Congress in Idanre, as suspected thugs disrupted proceedings, leading to multiple injuries and extensive property damage.

Today’s incident follows a pre-Congress crisis on Tuesday (yesterday), during which party stakeholders were attacked at the APC State Secretariat in Akure.

Eyes -witnesses described today’s incident as a chaotic scene, with a car set ablaze and two individuals are in critical condition and currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

The area near the party secretariat was left littered with broken bottles and chairs, reflecting the intensity of the clashes.

The reasons behind the violence remain unclear at the time of this report. However, prominent figures, including activist Omoyele Sowore, have condemned the earlier assaults, highlighting the growing unrest within the party.

Prominent figures, including activist Omoyele Sowore, have condemned the earlier assaults, highlighting the growing unrest within the party.

As the situation unfolds, Starnews NG reports that the implications of this violence for Ondo APC and the upcoming elections are yet to be determined, but the discord within the party is becoming increasingly evident.

Authorities may need to intervene to restore order and ensure the safety of party members and the public.

Ahead of the Wednesday ward congress of the All Progressive Congress in Ondo state, armed political thugs have invaded and disrupted the stakeholders meeting, attacking and injuring party leaders including the state party chairman, Engineer Ade Adetimehin.

The stakeholders meeting was held at the party’s Secretariat in Akure, the state capital.

Reports had it that the sponsored thugs arrived the venue of the meeting with dangerous weapons and attacked the party leaders.

The State’s party chairman and other party leaders were attacked and dragged by the thugs while the meeting was ongoing.

Others leaders of the party attacked at the meeting, include,Ademola ljabiyi, Saka Yusuf, Otito Atikase, Muyiwa Asagunla, Akin Sowore, Rasheed Badmus ,Yetunde Adeyanju ,Sola Ajisafe, Dr Koka Ademujimi and Chief Bode Sunmonu.

The party’s Chairman, who expressed surprise over the incident said that the thugs dragged him on the floor from the conference hall of the meeting to the ground floor of the party Secretariat.

” l was the target of the attack, they were all shouting my name as they entered the hall, they beat me blue black before dragging me on the floor, said the chairman, adding that his two handsets, wristwatch and the sum of N210,000 were forcibly removed from his pocket by the political thugs.