By Duchess Ifeoluwa 

Violence again trailed activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ondo State on Wednesday as two persons were confirmed dead and several others injured during the party’s ward congress in Idanre, barely 24 hours after a violent attack on stakeholders at the party secretariat in Akure.

Armed men suspected to be political thugs reportedly invaded Idanre while the congress was ongoing, shooting sporadically along Commercial Road and the Onibata axis, forcing residents and party members to flee for safety and disrupting the exercise.

Nigerian Monitor gathered from sources in the community that the younger brother of the state APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, identified as Raphael, was attacked on his way to the congress after being mistaken for the party leader. His vehicle was reportedly set ablaze during the assault.

Adetimehin, who was himself assaulted on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat in Akure, confirmed that his brother was injured in the Idanre attack and decried the escalating tension within the party, warning that politics should not be treated as a do-or-die affair.

He called on security agencies to step up efforts to restore law and order across affected communities.

Police authorities confirmed that the Idanre violence claimed two lives and left three others injured.

The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, led a team of operatives to the area following a distress call received at about 11:05 a.m., deploying tactical units to contain the situation and restore calm.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Abayomi, the command said five persons were attacked during the incident, with three currently receiving treatment in hospital while two victims were confirmed dead.

He added that investigations had commenced to identify those responsible and prevent further breakdown of law and order.

The latest violence came a day after chaos erupted at the APC secretariat in Akure when suspected thugs stormed a stakeholders’ meeting convened ahead of the ward congress, assaulting party leaders and injuring several members.

During Tuesday’s incident, Adetimehin was dragged from the conference hall and beaten, while other leaders, including party stakeholders and officials, sustained injuries.

The disruption forced the meeting to end abruptly and heightened fears of internal crisis within the party.

Some party chieftains had alleged that the attackers were politically motivated and opposed to the conduct of the congress, a claim that further deepened tensions within the state chapter of the party.

The Ondo State Government had, however, distanced itself from the Akure incident, describing allegations linking it to the violence as malicious and politically motivated, while reaffirming its commitment to peaceful political engagement and democratic processes under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Similarly, the state chapter of the APC described the secretariat attack as an isolated incident arising from internal misunderstandings and assured members that steps were being taken to investigate the matter and prevent a recurrence.

With the Idanre killings coming shortly after the Akure disruption, concerns have intensified over security and internal cohesion within the ruling party in Ondo State, as members called for urgent intervention by security agencies and the national leadership to forestall further violence.