Chaos erupted during the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary in Ondo State after armed thugs reportedly attacked Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire and his supporters at his polling unit in Akure.
The incident occurred at Okilisa Ward 5 while voting was ongoing for the Ondo Central Senatorial District primary election.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the venue and began firing gunshots after it appeared the senator was leading the exercise.
The violence caused panic among party members, delegates, election officials and journalists, many of whom fled the scene for safety.
Some women were reportedly injured during the confusion as supporters struggled to escape the attack.
The disruption also created fear at nearby Ebenezer Primary School, where parents hurriedly rushed to pick up their children over concerns about stray bullets.
Security operatives later intervened and escorted Adegbonmire away from the area, forcing a temporary suspension of the primary exercise.
Reacting after the incident, the senator described the election as compromised and accused political thugs of deliberately targeting his supporters across Ondo Central.
According to him, the voting process had initially been peaceful, with party members openly queuing behind their preferred aspirants before the attack began.
Adegbonmire explained that his supporters formed the longest queue during the counting process before armed men suddenly invaded the venue.
He alleged that the attackers fired into the air, assaulted supporters and even opened fire on his vehicle.
The senator claimed his car was hit by bullets and said several of his supporters were beaten while others narrowly escaped machete attacks during the violence.
He further alleged that similar intimidation and disruptions were recorded in parts of Idanre, Akure North and Akure South, where some party members were allegedly warned against supporting certain aspirants.
Adegbonmire stated that some individuals involved in the attacks mentioned Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s name, although he said he did not believe the governor personally authorised the violence.
The senator disclosed that he had already communicated details of the incident to the governor.
He also called on the national leadership of the APC to urgently step into the matter, insisting that the credibility of the primary election had been seriously damaged.
According to him, the violence mirrors irregularities witnessed during the House of Representatives primaries conducted in the state last week.
“When voters are threatened, attacked and prevented from exercising their rights freely, then the process cannot be described as a credible election,” he said.
Adegbonmire appealed to his supporters to remain calm and avoid retaliation while documenting all incidents linked to the violence and intimidation.
