Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has refuted allegations that he sponsored thugs to disrupt a crucial stakeholders’ meeting held at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Akure on Tuesday.
Armed men reportedly stormed the party facility on Tuesday morning during a pre-ward congress meeting presided over by the state APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin.
The invasion left several individuals injured, including the state Chairman who was brutally assaulted by the thugs.
Reacting to allegations of sponsoring the thugs at the secretariat late Tuesday evening during a meeting with the Ward Congress Committee, the governor clarified that the gathering had been rescheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to accommodate his attendance.
According to Aiyedatiwa, he was alerted to security concerns near the secretariat and immediately reached out to the Commissioner of Police to ensure the area was secured.
“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 because I was going to attend the meeting. I asked that security operatives be deployed to protect the place,” Aiyedatiwa explained.
He attributed the disturbance to miscreants loyal to various aspirants contesting party positions, noting that tensions among them led to the fracas.
“Later, I got to know that some miscreants who had sympathy for one aspirant or the other, those who are contesting for one position or the other, were moving around and trying to create some kind of fracas among themselves, which led to some disturbance,” he said.
The governor assured that police operatives were deployed and had secured the secretariat before the stakeholders’ meeting commenced. He urged party members to remain calm and united as the ward congress approaches.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ward Congress Committee in the state, Chief Margaret Araruenu, expressed confidence in the peaceful conduct of the upcoming exercise, stating that adequate arrangements had been made.
