Fresh tension has gripped Ondo State politics as Ilaje-born politician Otito Atikase accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of plotting to assassinate him following a violent attack at the All Progressives Congress (APC) state secretariat in Akure. The assault reportedly left several people injured and unfolded during a stakeholders’ meeting ahead of scheduled ward congresses.
Atikase made the allegation in a now-deleted Facebook post, warning the public to hold Governor Aiyedatiwa responsible if anything happened to him. He claimed the governor’s political thugs carried out the attack, injuring party members and disrupting proceedings.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, saying over a hundred assailants, armed with cutlasses and clubs, stormed the secretariat. APC State Chairman Engr. Ade Adetimehin was reportedly humiliated, forced to sit on the floor, and physically assaulted, while Barrister Sola Ajisafe said he was stripped and beaten while trying to help an elderly member.
The violence extended to several women and elderly party stakeholders, with furniture destroyed and official documents scattered. Sources say the attack has deepened divisions within the Ondo APC, as rival factions continue to jostle for control of party structures ahead of political activities.
At the time of reporting, neither Governor Aiyedatiwa nor the Ondo State Government had responded publicly to the assassination allegation, leaving party members and residents concerned about escalating tensions.