APC, PDP supporters clash over new year party in Ondo

Supporters of APC and PDP have clashed at Idanre town in Idanre Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State over Christmas party.

Several persons, including the chairman of Idanre LGA were said to have been injured in the clash which occurred in Isalu area of the town.

Narrating the story to journalists, a witness said the chairman of the PDP in Idanre LGA, Bola Ogundolu, was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed private hospital in the town as a result of the injury.

According to the source, “Members of the two parties were to hold their get-together today [Thursday], they were both granted permission by the Divisional Police Officer in the town.

“But in the morning, some APC thugs went to the house of the PDP chairman where people were preparing the food for the ceremony. The boys (suspected APC supporters) invaded the house, attacked and beat everybody in the house. They took away all the cooked foods that had been prepared.

“The chairman was also said to have been attacked in front of the DPO when he went to report the activities of the hoodlums at the police station. He was seriously injured by the thugs, “a source said.

Another source, however, said that the clash was between the commercial motorcyclists in the town who are members of both APC and PDP. He added that those involved were not card-carrying members of the two parties.

A PDP chieftain in the town, Mayokun Akinmoladun, stated that the clash occurred at about 8.30am on Thursday.

“The APC supporters attacked our people in our chairman’s house. They destroyed our canopy, our chairs, they stole all the food we have prepared. They also injured our chairman, “Akinmoladun alleged.

In his reaction, however, the state Chairman of the APC, Ade Adetimehin said, “I was not aware of the incident. If my members are fighting anywhere, I would have been informed, I am in Idanre now and nothing of such has been reported to me,” Adetimehin said.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr. Femi Joseph , who confirmed the incident, said normalcy had returned to the town as the two parties had agreed to make peace.