Ondo: Scores Injured As APC, PDP Members Clash

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

The sleepy town of Idanre, Headquarters of Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State was yesterday thrown into serious pandemonium following a free for all between the supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

CityMirrorNews gathered that no fewer than 20 persons were severely injured in the clash which occured at Isalu area of the ancient town.

A source told CityMirrorNews that the chairman of PDP in Idanre Local Government Area, Mr. Bola Ogundolu was allegedly injured by the irate APC supporters during the clash.

The chairman was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed private
hospital in the town as a result of the injury sustained in the brawl.

According to the source, members of the two political parties were preparing to organize a get-together to celebrate the new year when the clash occured.

He disclosed that the two political
parties were given permission by the police to hold the event at different venues in the town.

The source said “members of the two parties were to hold their get-together at different venues, they were both granted permission by the Divisional Police Officer in the  town.

“But in the morning, some APC thugs went to the house of the PDP chairman where people  were preparing the food for the ceremony. The boys (suspected APC supporters) invaded the house and attacked everybody in the house. They took away all the cooked foods that had been prepared.

“The chairman was attacked in front of the DPO when he went to report
the activities of the hoodlums at the police station. He was seriously
injured by the thugs.”

Another source said the clash was between the commercial motorcyclists
in the town who are members of both APC and PDP.

The source hinted that those involved were not card-carrying members
of the two parties.

A PDP chieftain in the town, Mr. Mayokun Akinmoladun stated that “the
APC supporters attacked and maim our people in our chairman’s house.
They destroyed our canopy, our chairs, they stole all the foods we
prepared. They also injured our chairman.”

In his switch reaction, the state Chairman of the APC, Mr. Ade
Adetimehin however said there was no clash in the town that involved members of his party.

His words, “I was not aware of the incident. If my members had fought anywhere, I would have been informed, I am in Idanre now and nothing of such has been reported to me”.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state command, Mr.
Femi Joseph who confirmed the incident, said normalcy has returned to the town as the two parties had agreed to embrace peace.

He also denied that the PDP chairman in Idanre was beaten at the police station by hoodlums .

Joseph said, ” The APC sought our approval to hold their get together
and we provided them security but from no where we learnt that the PDP
too were holding theirs and we were not aware of their own. That was how the clash occurred but I can tell you now that normalcy has returned.
Ends.