One feared dead as APC, SDP supporters clash in Ekiti

One person is feared to have been killed after supporters loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) clashed in Ekiti state.

According to NAN, residents said the victim was among three persons shot during the clash which occurred on Saturday.

The Ekiti governorship election is scheduled for June 18, 2022.

Aside from the person feared dead, two others said to have been shot are reportedly receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.

Speaking on the development, Segun Dipe, APC publicity secretary, and Taiwo Olatunbosun, director of media and publicity for the Biodun Oyebanji campaign organisation, alleged that those affected were attacked by SDP thugs who swooped in on a faulty campaign vehicle belonging to the APC candidate in Itaji-Ekiti.

“We were attacked, but we will not be daunted. We refused to be provoked. The hands of the law will catch up with whoever was the mastermind. We will not allow them to derail what is happening in Ekiti,” Dipe said.

“The peace of Ekiti should not be tampered with. We now see the people opposed to peace in Ekiti, who have been creating mayhem in Ekiti.

“As I speak with you, we are at the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital. The dead member had been deposited in the morgue, while the two injured are at the ICU section of the facility. This is not the kind of election our people deserve.”

However, Jackson Adebayo, director of media and publicity for the campaign organsation of the SDP candidate, Segun Oni, said the APC should be held responsible for what happened.

“We were at the palace at Itaji-Ekiti where Segun Oni was meeting with the traditional rulers of Oye local government area, while some people were outside the palace. Suddenly, we saw about five buses fully loaded with political thugs associated with the APC,” he said.

“They started shooting sporadically. We initially thought they were shooting to scare us away. People were running helter skelter without knowing that they really were targeting our members to kill.

“They were also trying to force their way to where Segun Oni was, maybe in an attempt to assassinate him. That was when they were repelled by security agencies who came to the rescue.

“Unfortunately, one of the thugs missed his vehicle, because he fell down. We interrogated him and he said they were agents of APC. They left, and we learnt one of them died later, but I would not know how.”

Meanwhile, the police command in Ekiti said the clash is being investigated.

“On the killing of a person, we are yet to get that confirmation. As soon as that is done, I will update the press,” Sunday Abutu, Ekiti police spokesman, said.