Protesters Wednesday burnt the State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure, the state capital.
The Secretariat is located at the Cathedral area on Oyemekun Road. The attack on the APC State Secretariat came after the protesters had attacked the private residence of the APC State Chairman, Mr Ade Adetimehin.
At the residence of the party chairman, the protesters vandalised three vehicles in the compound. The protesters also destroyed anything in sight that has APC logo on it.
At the Adegbola Jumction, they vandalised the campaign office of the former governorship aspirant of the party, Mr Ife Oyedele, who later branded the office with pictures of Akeredolu after the party’s primary.
The protesters, who were chanting “No More APC” as they regrouped, despite the 24-hour curfew, were seen at many major junctions along the main Oyemekun/Adesida Road.
At the initial stage, the protesters and the police, were playing hide and seek game.
The protesters, always dispersed whenever the police arrive and only to regroup, shortly whenever securitymen depart.
As at the time of filing this report, the protesters, were still at major location in the state capital.
The mob were said to have touched the APC secretariat building after bringing out some food items and office appliances and electronics from the building and burnt them.
Spokesman for the Ondo APC, Alex Kalejaiye, who confirmed the attack on phone said the protest was no longer the demand to #EndSARS.
Kalejaye, in a statement said those who attacked the party’s secretariat and the chairman’s house, were sponsored by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
However, the PDP in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretariat, Mr Kennedy Peretei, said PDP, was not behind any of the attacks.
Kalejaye said it took the intervention of a team of policemen from Okuta Elerinla Police station, led by the DPO, to salvage the tensed situation and saved the party chieftain and his family.
“For the inability to wreck sufficient havoc on the Chairman’s house, the thugs, chanting “Power to the People” headed straight to the party state secretariat, and set it ablaze.
“The Ondo APC is stunned that a legitimate protest by youths could be employed to achieve political vendetta by setting the party’s secretariat on fire. The whole act of wickedness was premeditated; never by accident.
“It is sad to note that the People’s Democratic Party, could go this far to perpetuate what it could not achieve during the just concluded gubernatorial election in Ondo State.
“The APC has it on good authority that the PDP has also perfected plans to target leaders of the APC that are either of Akure origin, or based in the capital city for attacks in the next couple of days.
“The fact that the APC always prefer to err on the side of caution should not be mistaken for cowardice. The party has the followers and capability to contain such excesses from any aggressive party.
“We therefore call on security agencies to wade in, and stop this senseless cruelty that is being unleashed by a political group. Members of the public, and indeed, APC leaders deserve protection. This is the only way to avert self-help.
The PDP said “It is very uncharitable for the leadership of APC to accuse the PDP for the activities of thugs who set the APC Secretariat on fire in Akure.
“Our nation is going through a very traumatic period, requiring sobriety and prayers of all well meaning Nigerians. In the last twenty four hours, several Police Stations, Public Buildings, Banks and private buildings have been razed down by hoodlums who have taken advantage of the on going EndSars protests. Even the Palace of the Oba of Lagos was attacked.
“How on earth can anyone attribute such dastardly acts to PDP, a party that presided over the affairs of Nigeria for sixteen unbroken years. Years we all remember now with nolstagia. Years of peace, prosperity and abundance. We now live in fear, anxiety, uncertainty and total hopelessness.
“Nobody should draw the PDP into how the APC has steadily led us to where we are now as a nation.
“The PDP wishes to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, arrest the drift, violence and gloom that have enveloped our nation instead of looking for who to blame.”
The protest was also going on simultaneously in major towns in the state including Ondo City and Ikare.
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