Not Again: Another PDP, APC Clash Wrecks Havoc In Ekiti

One person was on Sunday confirmed dead in a fierce clash between the supporters of the All Progressive Congress APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.

Running Crowd

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It was gathered from a witness who spoke on condition of anonymity that several people sustained severe injuries, four vehicles damaged while six motorcycles were burnt following the clash.

According to him, the clash occurred at about 8:00 a.m. when some APC members trooped out to the city centre with brooms to conduct a cleaning exercise as a reaction to the PDP’s Saturday’s governorship aspirant rally, Ayo Fayose. 

He said that the APC supporters were accosted midway by a combined team of security agents who were still keeping vigil in the state capital. He said the APC supporters resisted the security agents’ directive to stop the cleaning exercise, which made the latter disperse them with tear gas.

The source further revealed that the clash took a bloody turn after one of the rival party members was said to have been shot dead by unknown person.

Responding, Chief Jide Awe, the state chairman of the APC, claimed that the clash was triggered by the bias of the police against his party, alleging that Gabriel Selenkere, the State Mopol Commander, shot dead an APC member.

The party chairman also accused the commander of personally firing tear gas canisters at Governor Kayode Fayemi while trying to restore normalcy.

According to him, APC no longer had confidence in both the state Police Commissioner, Felix Uyanna, and the Mopol commander.

Meanwhile, Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, the state PDP Chairman alleged that APC members started the violence by attacking a motorcyclist wearing a T-shirt with the Ayo Fayose inscription on it, adding that the killers of of the commercial motorcyclist removed the Ayo Fayose T-shirt on him and replaced it with an APC vest to indict the PDP.

However, the state police command refuted the claims that its officers killed the unidentified motorcyclist, saying the victim died in the violent clash between the rival parties at Ijigbo roundabout.

The command disclosed that eight persons have been arrested in connection with the clash, adding that APC chieftains led by Sen. Babafemi Ojudu and House of Representatives member, Oyetunji Ojo, triggered the violence with their statements as well as actions.

ASP Victor Babayemi, the state police spokesperson in a statement to newsmen noted that those arrested were helping the command to fish out the perpetrators of the attacks.

He blamed the APC for embarking on its cleaning exercise without obtaining permission from the state police command first.

The statement further revealed that the police commissioner and the State Director of SSS had earlier cautioned Fayemi, against visiting scene of incident until normalcy was restored but declined to yield to the warning.    

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