Residents in several communities across Ondo State have raised alarm over an alleged influx of suspected political thugs ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections scheduled to begin this week. The development has created an uneasy calm, with fears of a recurrence of the violence that marred the party's recent congresses in the state.
Primary Election Schedule
The ruling party has fixed Friday, May 15, for its House of Representatives primary, while the Senate and State House of Assembly primaries are scheduled for May 18 and 20. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and some members of the National Assembly from the state are at loggerheads over an alleged plot to deny them return tickets.
Party Crisis Deepens
Sources within the party said the crisis deepened following the rejection of Aiyedatiwa's consensus list by the party's national leadership, which insisted on conducting direct primaries. The governor is alleged to be opposed to this mode of primary.
Residents Express Concern
Some residents in Owo, Akure, Idanre, Irele, Okitipupa, and Akoko South West Local Government Areas expressed concern over the influx of unfamiliar faces into their communities. They feared that violence that marred the party's recent congresses in the state could recur if adequate measures were not taken to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
During the APC congress, suspected thugs allegedly unleashed violence at the party's state secretariat in Akure, where some leaders of the party were attacked and beaten. The immediate past state chairman, Ade Adetimehin, was also reportedly assaulted. In Idanre, two party members were shot dead, while the younger brother of a former state chairman, Raphael Adetimehin, sustained gunshot injuries and is receiving treatment at a hospital. In Owo, a party chieftain, Isiaka Elegberubon, was reportedly attacked with a machete.
A resident of Irele said: "We are afraid and calling on security agencies to be proactive. What we are hearing is frightening. We hope politicians will not turn our state into a war zone because of party tickets."
Another resident in Owo alleged that some councillors had been issuing threats to party members perceived not to support the governor's preferred candidates. "Since their return from a meeting with the governor in Akure on Monday, some councillors have allegedly been warning that supporters of certain National Assembly members or other aspirants should stay away on the day of the primaries. We all witnessed the violence during the congresses. We do not want a repeat, which is why we are appealing to security agencies to protect lives and property."
Police Assure Safety, Embark on Show of Force
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command has intensified proactive security measures across the state with the commencement of a show of force ahead of political activities. The Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, on Tuesday led the security show-of-force tour to Idanre and Owo Local Government Areas alongside senior police officers, tactical commanders, and other security personnel.
The operation featured the deployment of conventional police operatives, tactical teams, PMF personnel, intelligence units, and operational assets. It was designed to reassure residents of the command's preparedness to maintain law and order before, during, and after all political engagements across the state.
