Pandemonium erupted in some wards in the Ondo Central Senatorial District on Monday as suspected political thugs stormed the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election venues.
Suspected political thugs, believed to be loyal to a rival aspirant, invaded Ward 5 Okelisa along Amudipe Street in Akure, the state capital, where they launched a coordinated assault on supporters of Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire, who currently represents the district. The thugs shot sporadically into the air and also shot at the senator’s vehicle, who was whisked away from the scene by his security details.
Journalists covering the exercise, pupils of Ebenezer Primary School, and traders within the vicinity were forced to scamper for safety as the gunshots rocked the axis. The assailants also wielded machetes, attacking voters and disrupting the counting processes at the ward.
Senator Adegbomire Speaks Out
According to Adegbomire, the exercise was deliberately sabotaged, stating that the process was already favoring him and alleging that the thugs were deployed to prevent his supporters from accessing the wards. He said, “It’s a charade. It is a complete charade. I went to my ward, Okilisa Ward 5, Akure South Local Government, today. Today is the Senate primaries for the APC. I was there.
“And whilst we were there, they told everybody to line up, and they started counting. They counted my supporters who were voting for me. It was about 360. They started counting that of Taiwo Fasoranti because there were three lines. Mine was in the middle. Taiwo Fasoranti’s own was on the right. Adu’s own was to the left.
“Then they started counting Taiwo Fasoranti’s own. When it was clear to them that I thought it got about a hundred and something, thugs came and invaded the place. A shot in the air and a shot at my car. I can show you the bullet mark. Started trying to machete people. Beating people up. They disrupted the entire process.
“Now, that is not even bad enough. I am getting reports from all over the senatorial district that the same thing is happening. And that they are not allowing my supporters to even get onto the field. They are saying that if you are not going to vote for Fasoranti, go back to your house. They have hired thugs to intimidate people.
“Is that the way we are going to conduct this election? And that’s why I say it’s a charade. So they will come tomorrow afternoon or this evening and say that Taiwo Fasoranti won overwhelmingly. Is that what they want to do?
“I’ve gotten reports from Akure North. The same thing is what they are doing. And apart from Ward 5 in Akure South, it’s the same thing that they are doing in Akure South. Somebody called me from Ward 2. The same problem.
“So what really is this about? Over a senatorial seat? In the same party? And they are using the governor’s name to commit all sorts of atrocities. I don’t believe the governor has a hand in it. But that’s what they are saying.
Call for Intervention
Adegbomire further stated that, “I have sent him a message to the governor to tell him what I witnessed. I have sent a message to the governor to tell him what I witnessed in my own ward. And to tell him that those are what the reports I am getting from everybody say.
“He hasn’t responded. But I believe that he will respond. He’s busy. He may not have read it. But I believe that he will respond. You see, as far as I’m concerned, what we are witnessing, and which is still ongoing, I must emphasise, is a complete charade.
“What has happened here is that they haven’t done any election. Because when you say you have an election, where you are intimidating voters, you are attacking people; where you are telling people that if you are not voting for a particular candidate, then go to your house. Then how can that be an election?
“So I think the national body has to step into this. This is a complete charade. Because when we come tomorrow, or whatever time they want to announce it, they will announce what they want to announce.
“People have been prevented from voting. For me, particularly. And I say this with all respect. It’s because they know that I will beat them blue and black. So they are preventing my people from voting.
“But I, as a law-abiding and peaceful person, have told my supporters not to attack anybody, not to fight anybody. But to record the instances of what is happening across the senatorial district.”
