APC Members Scamper for Safety As Gunmen Take Over Primary Election in Ondo

Fidelis David in Akure

Pandemonium broke out on Monday at Ward 5, Ebenezer African Church Primary School, Amudipe Street, Akure, as sporadic gunshots disrupted the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Ondo Central Senatorial District, forcing party members, journalists and residents to flee for safety.

The ward serves as the voting point of the incumbent senator, Adeniyi Adegbonmire. Other contenders in the contest are Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s reported consensus candidate, Taiwo Fasoranti, and retired military officer and legal practitioner, Olumuyiwa Adu.

Trouble started when some youths suspected to be thugs stormed the venue while voting was ongoing. 

The election was being held within the premises of African Church Primary School and St. Peters African Church Primary School, triggering panic among teachers and parents who hurriedly evacuated pupils from the area.

Journalists and party faithful were seen scaling fences and scrambling for cover as gunshots rang out, abruptly halting the exercise.

Reacting to the disruption, Senator Adegbonmire described the process as “a complete charade,” alleging that the violence was deliberately orchestrated to stop his supporters from voting after it became clear he was leading at his polling unit.

“I was at my ward and they had already started counting. My supporters were counted first and they were over 360. When they moved to count the next line and it became obvious what was happening, thugs invaded the venue, shot into the air and even fired at my car. I can show you the bullet marks,” he said.

The senator further alleged that similar incidents were reported across the senatorial district, claiming his supporters were being intimidated and prevented from accessing voting centres. 

“People are being told openly that if they are not voting for a particular candidate, they should go back home. That is not an election. The national leadership of the party must intervene because this is a deliberate attempt to manipulate the process,” he added.

Adegbonmire said he had informed Governor Aiyedatiwa of the incident through a message, stressing that while some perpetrators allegedly invoked the governor’s name, he was unwilling to directly implicate him. 

“I believe he will respond. But what is happening is unacceptable and dangerous for our democracy,” he stated.

Also speaking, another aspirant, Olumuyiwa Adu, dismissed the exercise as a sham, alleging widespread intimidation by armed youths who, according to him, openly declared that only supporters of a preferred candidate would be allowed to vote.

“We witnessed armed men threatening delegates and warning that no one should vote for any candidate apart from the governor’s choice. There was no primary election in the real sense of it. What happened was a coordinated effort to deny genuine party members their right to vote,” Adu said.

The retired military officer said despite having the capacity to mobilise resistance, he restrained his supporters in the interest of peace. 

“We will not retaliate because no political ambition is worth bloodshed. Leadership requires restraint, and we will not allow Ondo to descend into chaos over a primary election,” he added.

Adu warned that the recurring violence in APC primaries in the state could deepen internal divisions and hurt the party’s chances in future elections if not urgently addressed by the national leadership.

However, Taiwo Fasoranti dismissed the allegations, describing the exercise as free, fair and transparent. 

He expressed confidence that he would emerge victorious when the final results are officially announced.