- Safiu Kehinde
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial primary election in Ondo Central Senatorial District has been disrupted as delegates fled following sporadic gunshot at election venue on Monday.
The incident occurred at the Ward 5, Ebenezer African Church Primary School in Amudipe Street, Akure, when armed hoodlums stormed the venue, sparking mayhem as they shot in the air to disperse the crowd.
Addressing newsmen, Adeniyi Adegbonmire, the incumbent senator, who confirmed that the attack was carried out in his ward recounted how the hoodlums disrupted the election process after his supporters were counted.
“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,” Adegbonmire said.
The senator reportedly alleged similar intimidation occurred across the district, with supporters of other candidates prevented from voting.
Adu, as quoted by The Cable, said that there was no primary election in the district.
“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.
While claiming to have the capacity to mobilise resistance, he held that he restrained his supporters to prevent bloodshed.
“No political ambition is worth bloodshed,” he added
However, Fasoranti, in reaction to the incident, dismissed the allegations, describing the primary as “free, fair, and transparent”.