Violence Erupts! Prominent APC Leader Among Those Feared Dead At Ward Congress

The ongoing ward congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Idanre Local Government Area, Ondo State, turned deadly on Wednesday, leaving three people dead.

Among the casualties was a prominent APC chieftain in the local government.

According to The Nation, the violence erupted when political thugs, believed to be affiliated with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), stormed the congress venue, firing shots into the air. A vehicle reportedly belonging to a party stalwart was also set ablaze.

Eyewitnesses told the publication that the attackers disrupted the proceedings, causing multiple injuries and significant property damage. The exact motive behind the violence was unclear at the time of reporting.

The incident follows a similar outbreak of violence at the APC state secretariat in Ondo on Tuesday, where thugs attacked a pre-congress stakeholders’ meeting, injuring several people, including the state chairman and a commissioner.

One eyewitness, Yetunde Adeyanju, said the assailants, armed with weapons, claimed to be acting on behalf of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, declaring:

“We don’t want congress in Ondo State. The governor is in charge. The governor is the leader of the state, and the governor is in charge. Nobody can query the authority of the governor, and anyone who talks about congress in Ondo State will be assassinated.”

The incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety of party officials and the escalating violence surrounding the congress exercises.