APC primary turns violent in Ondo Central, Senator escapes assassination attempt

Violence marred the senatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo Central Senatorial District on Monday as gunshots rang out across some wards following the invasion of voting venues by suspected political thugs.

The incident occurred in Ward 5, Okelisa, along Amudipe Street in Akure, the Ondo State capital, where armed men reportedly stormed the venue and attacked supporters of the lawmaker representing the district, Adeniyi Adegbomire.

Adegbomire, who is seeking the party’s ticket for another term, narrowly escaped the chaos after his vehicle was reportedly shot at by the attackers. Security aides swiftly evacuated him from the scene as gunshots were fired into the air.

Eyewitnesses said the assailants also wielded machetes, allegedly assaulting voters and disrupting the counting process. Journalists covering the exercise, pupils of Ebenezer Primary School, and traders in the area fled for safety as panic gripped the neighbourhood.

Speaking with journalists after the incident, Adegbomire described the exercise as a “charade,” alleging that the primary was deliberately sabotaged.

According to him, voting had commenced peacefully in his ward and the counting process was underway when the disruption occurred.

“It’s a charade. It is a complete charade. I went to my ward, Okelisa Ward 5, Akure South Local Government today. Today is the Senate primaries for the APC. I was there,” he said.

“They asked everyone 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 to the right, and Adu’s to the left.

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“When it became obvious that I was leading, thugs came and invaded the place. They shot in the air and shot at my car. I can show you the bullet mark. They started attacking people and disrupted the entire process.”

Adegbomire further alleged that similar disruptions were reported across other wards in the senatorial district, claiming that his supporters were being prevented from participating in the exercise.

“I am getting reports from all over the senatorial district that the same thing is happening. They are not allowing my supporters to get onto the field. They are telling them if you are not voting for Fasoranti, go back home. They have hired thugs to intimidate people,” he alleged.

The violence reportedly created widespread tension in parts of Akure and other affected wards within Ondo Central. Residents expressed concern over the safety of voters and observers during intra-party exercises.

Political analysts say the incident underscores rising tensions ahead of the general elections, particularly in competitive districts where multiple aspirants are vying for party tickets.

Security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report. Party officials were also silent on whether the disrupted exercise would be rescheduled in affected wards.