A high level meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, in southwestern Nigeria, descended into violence on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, after armed men stormed the party’s state secretariat in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The gathering was organised ahead of the party’s ward congresses scheduled to take place across 203 wards in Ondo State. Ward congresses are internal party elections held to choose officials at the grassroots level and are considered critical in shaping party leadership structures.
According to eyewitnesses, the meeting was disrupted by individuals described as suspected thugs who arrived at the venue armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. The attackers reportedly injured several party leaders, including the Ondo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Ade Adetimehin, and a member of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Otito Atikase. The Niger Delta Development Commission is a federal government of Nigeria agency responsible for development projects in the oil producing Niger Delta region.
A former Commissioner for Sports in Ondo State, Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, was also said to have been assaulted during the incident. Those injured were taken to hospitals in Akure for treatment.
An eyewitness, Yetunde Adeyanju, said the attackers claimed allegiance to supporters of the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa. She alleged that the men shouted, “We don’t want congress in Ondo State. The governor is in charge. The governor is the leader of the state, and the governor is in charge.
“Nobody can query the authority of the governor, and anybody who wants to talk about congress in Ondo State will be assassinated. If you talk about congress in Ondo State, you will be assassinated.”
Mr Ade Adetimehin confirmed that the meeting was violently disrupted. He alleged that the attackers were sponsored to cause chaos.
“Thirty minutes later, the place was invaded by thugs, with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. They beat all leaders and members, except those who are for them.
“They beat me and dragged me on the floor; they took away my two phones, money, and wristwatch,” he said.
The allegations have heightened tensions within the party in Ondo State, particularly as the ward congresses are expected to determine the structure of the party ahead of future elections in Nigeria.
However, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, rejected claims that the state governor had any role in the disruption. In a statement, he described the accusations as “unfounded, false and misleading.”
He added, “The governor was neither aware of nor connected to the said meeting and could not have sanctioned any act of thuggery. His leadership reflects a strong aversion to violence and political intimidation in any form.”
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in Ondo State, Mr Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed that officers responded after receiving a distress call.
“The police command received a distress call, and we immediately swung into action, deploying operatives to the APC state secretariat.
“Efforts of these operatives restored calmness to the area,” he said, adding that tactical teams had been deployed and investigations were ongoing.
Okay News reports that the incident occurred less than 24 hours before the scheduled ward congresses, raising concerns about internal divisions within one of Nigeria’s two major political parties and the potential implications for political stability in Ondo State.
