By Duchess Ifeoluwa
Tension, violence and confusion engulfed the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in Ondo State on Monday after armed political thugs invaded a polling centre in Akure and opened fire, forcing Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire to flee for safety in what eyewitnesses described as an apparent assassination attempt.
The dramatic incident occurred at Okelisa Ward 5 in Akure South Local Government Area, where delegates and party members had gathered for the APC senatorial primary election in the Ondo Central Senatorial District.
Witnesses said the exercise had progressed peacefully until heavily armed men stormed the venue, shooting sporadically into the air and allegedly firing directly at the senator’s vehicle, sending delegates, party officials, journalists and supporters scampering for safety.
The sudden attack threw the voting centre into chaos, while terrified delegates, including women, reportedly sustained injuries during the stampede that followed.
Security personnel attached to Adegbonmire swiftly whisked him away from the scene as the exercise was abruptly suspended.
The violence also sparked panic at nearby Ebenezer Primary School, where teachers and pupils reportedly abandoned classes and fled as gunshots echoed around the area.
Concerned parents were said to have rushed to the school premises to evacuate their children amid fears of further violence.
Speaking shortly after the incident, a visibly shaken Adegbonmire condemned the exercise, describing the APC senatorial primary as a “complete charade” characterised by intimidation, orchestrated violence and deliberate attempts to suppress his supporters.
According to him, the election initially commenced peacefully, with delegates openly queuing behind their preferred aspirants in line with the party’s direct primary guidelines.
He maintained that his supporters were clearly dominating the process before the attack occurred.
“I went to my ward, Okelisa Ward 5, for the APC Senate primary. They asked everyone to line up and began counting. My supporters were about 400, and there were three lines, mine in the middle, Taiwo Fashoranti’s on the right, and Adu’s on the left,” he said.
“They started counting my line first because it was the longest. But as soon as it became obvious that we were leading convincingly, thugs invaded the venue, started shooting into the air, and even fired directly at my vehicle. I can show you the bullet marks.
“They beat people and attempted to machete some of my supporters. The entire process was disrupted.”
The senator alleged that similar incidents of intimidation and violence were simultaneously taking place across several wards in the district, including Idanre, Akure North and parts of Akure South Local Government Area.
“I’m receiving reports from Idanre, Akure North, and different wards in Akure South that the same thing is happening. People are being told to go home if they are not voting for a particular aspirant. Thugs have been hired to intimidate voters and manipulate the process,” he alleged.
Although he stopped short of directly accusing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of involvement, Adegbonmire claimed some political actors were invoking the governor’s name to justify the alleged attacks and intimidation.
“They are invoking the governor’s name to commit all sorts of atrocities. I do not believe Governor Aiyedatiwa is directly involved, but that is what these individuals are claiming. I have sent a detailed message to the governor explaining what I witnessed and the reports coming in from across the district,” he stated.
The senator disclosed that while the governor had yet to respond, he remained hopeful that urgent intervention would be taken to address the crisis.
Adegbonmire further appealed to the APC national leadership to intervene immediately, insisting that the credibility of the primary election had been fundamentally compromised.
“As far as I’m concerned, what we are witnessing is not an election. Once voters are intimidated, attacked, and prevented from exercising their rights freely, the process becomes meaningless. The national body of the party must step in immediately,” he said.
He argued that the violence was a calculated attempt to frustrate what he described as his growing electoral popularity.
“They know that if there is a free and fair election, I will defeat them convincingly. That is why they are stopping my supporters from voting,” he added.
The senator, however, urged his supporters to remain peaceful and avoid reprisals despite the provocation, revealing that he had instructed them to document all incidents of violence and intimidation across the district.
“I am a peaceful and law-abiding person. I have told my supporters not to fight anyone but to record all instances of intimidation and violence. We cannot allow democracy to be hijacked through fear and brutality,” he said.
Adegbonmire also linked the latest violence to alleged irregularities recorded during last week’s APC House of Representatives primary elections in Ondo State, warning that a disturbing pattern was emerging within the party’s internal electoral process.
“The same thing happened during the House of Representatives primaries. Voters were intimidated and genuine democratic choice was suppressed. Now we are witnessing it again in the Senate primaries. This is clearly becoming a pattern, and something urgent must be done,” he stated.
The incident has further heightened political tension across Ondo State and raised concerns over escalating violence surrounding the APC National Assembly primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As of press time, APC officials had yet to issue any official statement on the disruption, while uncertainty surrounded the fate of the affected wards and whether fresh primary elections would be conducted.
