APC Crisis: Party chairman fingered as rival supporters clash

Agency ReporterMarch 31, 2018

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The leadership crisis rocking the Ondo East Local Government Area chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) resulted in a bloody clash on Thursday.

Some supporters were injured as two rival groups in the local government clashed at the Council’s Secretariat at the Bolorunduro area.

Consequently, some executives on Friday petitioned the State Commissioner of Police, Gbenga Adeyanju, and other relevant security agencies to intervene.

The petition signed by two party executives in the local government, Roseline Okafor and Jimoh Adebayo with two council executives, Alhaji Rabiu Awotunde and Olafisoye Festus, accused the State APC chairman, Ade Adetimehin of instigating the crisis.

They alleged that trouble started when one Agboola, a supporter of Adetimehin attempted to impose one Isaiah Adejo as the acting chairman of APC in the local government.

They insisted that the party had constitutionally appointed Ibikunle Awolope since August 1, 2017 as contained in a letter signed by 14 Exco members.

According to the petition, there was another contrary letter signed by the APC state secretary on February 16 recognising Adejo as the acting chairman without reference to the August 2017 letter of the local government executives appointing Awolope as its acting Chairman.

“We plead with the Police Commissioner to provide security at the APC secretariat in Bolorunduro to prevent Agboola from taking it over, which can create anarchy in the local government, we contend with our chairman, Awolope, we are against any imposition through any external influence”, it noted.

Reacting, Adetimehin through APC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro described the allegation as frivolous, stressing that he was not involved in the dispute.

He told The Nation that as chairman of the ruling party in the state, he was aware of the rift among some members in the local government, which was being investigated for amicable settlement.

Adetimehin urged the warring parties in the local government to embrace peace and unite ahead of 2019 polls to guarantee victory for the party in the locality.