At least two people are feared dead following violence at a ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, located in south western Nigeria, on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The unrest occurred in Idanre, a town in Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State. Witnesses said several others sustained injuries during the incident, and a vehicle was set on fire as tensions escalated.
The violence happened barely 24 hours after suspected political thugs disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting at the party’s secretariat in Akure, the capital city of Ondo State. The meeting had been presided over by the Ondo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Ade Adetimehin.
Local sources in Idanre said the ward congress could not proceed in some areas after hoodlums allegedly attacked party members who had gathered for the internal party exercise. Ward congresses are grassroots level elections conducted by Nigerian political parties to select officials and representatives as part of internal restructuring processes.
As of the time this report was filed, the exact cause of the violence had not been officially confirmed.
One of the victims was identified as Raphael Adetimehin, who is said to be a brother of the state chairman. He was reportedly attacked in his ward in Idanre during the crisis and is currently in a coma.
Confirming the incident, Ade Adetimehin said his brother was shot and attacked with machetes by suspected thugs who allegedly mistook him for the chairman.
“My brother was attacked; those who attacked him thought I was the one because we resemble each other very well. After shooting and macheting him, they left him when they thought he was dead. I don’t know why we are playing our politics to this extent,” he stated.
When contacted for comment, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police Abayomi Jimoh, said he would respond later when reached by telephone.
The crisis underscores growing tension within the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress as the party prepares for internal restructuring and leadership selection processes. Political party congresses in Nigeria often determine control of party structures at local and state levels, making them highly contested events.
Okay News reports that the violence in Idanre followed the disruption of Tuesday’s stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, where suspected thugs stormed the party secretariat, injured several members, and forced an abrupt end to the gathering.
Security authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigations continue into both incidents.
