By RASAQ IBRAHIM, Ado-Ekiti

Many were reportedly injured on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital as the loyalists of former governor Ayodele Fayose and Senator Biodun Olujimi exchanged blows over conduct of ward congress.

The Nation gathered that the bloody encounter around 4pm at the PDP state secretariat located at Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti metropolis when the supporters of Fayose and Olujimi were waiting for the members of appeal panel sent to adjudicate on matters arising from the conduct of last Saturday’s Congress arrived the state.

It was gathered that dangerous weapons such as bottles, cutlasses and stones were deployed as members of appeal panel sent by Chief Uche Secondus-led NWC arrived, which prompted the police to immediately draft his men to the place.

A source claimed several persons were matcheted and sustained varying degrees of injuries during the clash including two die hard supporters of Senator Olujimi; Abanishile Femi and Rotimi Sunday.

The duo were said to have been rushed to an undisclosed private hospital and in the state capital for medical attention.

The Nation gathered that the outcome of the congress had elicited controversies, with those loyal to the Senator representing Ekiti South, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi accusing the leader of the team that conducted the ward congress and Taraba State Deputy Governor, Haruna Manu of plotting to rig in favour of Fayose.

Olujimi’s supporters claimed that they overran Fayose’s political machinery in the congress conducted across the 177 local governments.

When our reporter visited the Secretariat, over 30 policemen were at the entrance of the one storey building, while every door was under lock.

Over eight police vans deployed from Okesa and Ologede Police Stations were stationed at strategic locations while all members have been dispersed to avert loss of lives.

Responding to the attack, Olujimi blamed Fayose and his supporters for allegedly trying to define the PDP with the emblem of violence by mobilising thugs to where the appeal panel was expected to sit.

“Because we caught them in that dastardly act at Petim Hotel on Saturday, they thought they could right the wrongs with the appeal panel by being violent.

“Just because we caught them, they were on the offensive and they had to put up some violence. I don’t like violence and we will not allow violence to define us as a party. Whoever wants violence must either drop that and stay or chip out of the PDP, we won’t tolerate that.

“They beat some people, I mean some of my supporters, but I was not touched. If they were right, why were they violent today? They were the ones engaging in a dastardly act and they are being chased around by their shameful act, like they were caught in the act.

“You could all attest to the fact that no collation was done regarding the ward congress .We didn’t do any collation, so the Taraba deputy has no results to present”, she stated.

But in his reaction, Fayose through his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka, blamed Olujimi for the attack, saying “the attack is all politics, it was from people from her side so that they can turn around to accuse us.

“If you won an election, would you go and file petition at tribunal? After winning an election, will you go and file petition at the petition. They were the one who filed petition at the appeal panel. Do you file petition against a congress you claimed to have won? The appeal panel did not come to the party secretariat until about 2p.m., she mobilised people to the secretariat as early as 8am.

“They were there in the sun when we got information that members of the appeal panel had arrived, the former deputy governor, Prof. Eleka and some of our leaders to submit our own report, not petition of the how the congresses went.

“When the Olujimi group saw the crowd accompanying Prof. Eleka, they fled. They were so intimidated and they fled despite that Olujimi herself cannot deny that he paid thugs in buses around there. The thugs and those people have turned Olujimi into political ATM.

“We have right to go to the secretariat, the issue of thugs, they mobilised thugs to Petim Guest House on Saturday where they deflated tyres and destroyed vehicles,” he said. (The Nation)

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