Politics

Ekiti 2022: APC, SDP Trade Blame As Supporters Engage In Bloody Clash

Published

4 years ago

June 12, 2022

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), on Saturday, traded blames in Ekiti after a shootout at Itaji Ekiti.

The clash left at least one person dead and several others injured.

Both parties claimed they were at the receiving end of the attack.

The SDP said that thugs from the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), wearing APC vests and armed with automatic rifles, shot sporadically at their campaign venues in Itaji-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area of the state, while Segun Oni was addressing the rally.

Mr Oni, a former governor of the state, is the candidate of the SDP.

Jackson Adebayo, the spokesperson of the Segun Oni campaign, organisation said three persons were shot during the attack and one of the attackers was arrested and handed over to the police.

But Taiwo Olatunbosun, the director of Media and Publicity of the Biodun Oyebanji Campaign Organisation, said the APC supporters were attacked by the SDP thugs, killing one Tope Ajayi and injuring several others.

According to Mr Olatunbosun, an unspecified number of other APC members are presently hospitalized where medical personnel are battling to save their lives following life-threatening injuries they received in the attack carried out SDP thugs.

He said one of the victims, Joshua John, who is presently at a critical condition at the State University Teaching Hospital, said he was tortured and shot in the leg in the presence of Mr Oni and Mr Daramola, a former lawmaker.

Mr Olatunbosun said the APC’s campaign procession in Ekiti North senatorial district was peaceful earlier in the day until it was disrupted by SDP thugs under the command of Mr Daramola at Itaji-Ekiti. He said the attack was carried out in broad daylight.

He noted that the attack on Mr Ajayi was carried out by violent thugs who arrived in one Toyota Hilux and Tacoma vehicles.

He alleged that the SDP thugs shot at many vehicles in its campaign procession including the one belonging to the Special Adviser on Roads, Sunday Adunmo.

“It is very disturbing that Daramola was seen by eyewitnesses personally leading thugs parading as security officials, and instructed them to shoot directly at our members in Itaji-Ekiti,” said Mr Olatunbosun.

“He and others culpable of the breach of peace are to be held accountable.

“The death in Itaji-Ekiti is an addition to the statistics of politically-motivated fatalities allegedly traced to Oni in his desperation for power.

“It is tragic that within one week of Daramola decamping to the SDP, we have recorded a spate of violence including an attack on our campaign rally at Oke Ayedun on Friday, and now the brutal killing of our member today, and the maiming of many others who are now battling for their lives in the hospital.

“I assure all our peace-loving members and the good people of Ekiti State that despite the scheming of Bimbo Daramola and his newfound desperate cohorts in the SDP, the June 18 governorship election would be peaceful and the APC would be victorious.”

He said the Oyebanji Campaign wants the police to invite Mr Daramola and other SDP leaders to state all they know about the attack for justice to be done to the deceased and the injured and prevent a reoccurrence in days ahead.

He also said the Oyebanji Campaign was in possession of intelligence that hundreds of thugs and youths had been armed with guns and other dangerous weapons across the state to cause mayhem at the instance of Mr Oni, whom he accused of being desperate for power.

In its statement, the SDP said the APC thugs were allegedly sent by Rotimi Olanbiwoninu, a-k-a Mentilo, the Ekiti State Chairman of RTEAN, to disrupt the SDP Itaji campaign by shooting at its supporters.

Mr Adebayo noted that it took the mobile police and some soldiers on patrol about 30 minutes to bring the situation under control.

“The unlucky thug confessed that they were sent by Mentilo and that he (Mentilo) was working for the Biodun Oyebamiji Campaign Organisation,” said Mr Adebayo.

At Oye, said Mr Adebayo, “the RTEAN drivers allegedly shot three members of the SDP who were waiting for the arrival of Oni who was due to address party supporters in the town.”

He, however, said in spite of the violence at Itaji and Oye, the people trooped out enmass to welcome Mr Oni, promising to vote for him. He said the APC thugs could not intimidate or prevent them from coming out to vote on the election day.

He said the injured SDP members were taken to the hospital while the matter was reported to the Commissioner of Police.

Sunday Abutu, the spokesperson of the police in Ekiti State, told PREMIUM TIMES that the situation had been brought under control and that investigations were ongoing to determine the facts of the incident.

Politics

BREAKING: 17 ADC Reps Follow Join NDC

Published

4 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

About 17 African Democratic Congress, ADC, lawmakers in the House of Representatives have defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.

This was disclosed by Speaker Abass Tajudeen on the floor of the House on Tuesday.

Tajudeen also announced the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Lawmakers who defected to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.

Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene and Abdulhakeem Ado.

This comes barely a day after former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defected from the ADC to the NDC.

Obi and Kwankwaso have pledged to continue their pursuit for a better Nigeria in the NDC.

Politics

JUST IN: Why I left ADC For NDC With Kwankwaso – Peter Obi Opens Up

Published

24 hours ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has given reasons why he resigned from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to join the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, alongside a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In a long post on X on Monday, Obi insisted it was not out of anger or ambition.

Rather, he said the move is a continuation of the quest to build a new Nigeria.

Obi wrote: “Yesterday, I formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside my dear brother, Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with one clear purpose: to continue the struggle for a new Nigeria built on justice, competence, accountability, and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian.

“As I stated yesterday, this decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience. It came after deep reflection on the present condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from the dangerous path it is currently heading.

“Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my conviction that politics should never be about individuals, positions, or personal gain. It must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities, whose businesses are collapsing, whose children are losing hope, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain.

“I left the ADC for the same reason I left the Labour Party: the severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process. I sincerely appreciate and remain deeply grateful to the Leadership of ADC for the opportunity to work together in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for his exceptional Leadership. I also deeply appreciate my Leader and elder brother YE, Atiku Abubakar, as well as other respected leaders within the party.

“As we join the NDC, I sincerely appeal to the Nigerian Government against the encouragement of unresolved litigations and the infusion of crises within political parties. Democracy must never become a weapon against the people. A healthy democracy thrives on strong institutions, credible alternatives, and the freedom of citizens to make choices without intimidation, manipulation, or fear. Opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, because when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer.

“Nigeria today is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Poverty is rising. Hunger is widespread. Insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Businesses are shutting down daily. Our young people are becoming discouraged, and many citizens have lost faith in the system. At a time like this, leadership must be driven not by propaganda or division, but by competence, capacity, character, and compassion.

“Our decision to join the NDC is therefore not an abandonment of values, but a continuation of the same mission we have always stood for: building a Nigeria where leadership is about service, where public resources are managed responsibly, where institutions function independently, and where every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region, or social status, can live with dignity, security, and hope.

“I remain committed to working with all Nigerians of goodwill across political, ethnic, and religious lines. The task before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our children and the survival of our dear nation.

“I thank Nigerians, especially our youths and women, for remaining peaceful, resilient, and hopeful despite the enormous challenges confronting the country. I urge you not to lose faith in Nigeria. Nations do not change because people surrender to hopelessness; they change because people continue to believe, continue to sacrifice, and continue to stand for what is right.”

Politics

Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Formally Join NDC, Warn Members Against Litigation

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned party members to steer clear of any form of litigation that can plunge the party into chaos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday after he was formally joined the party alongside the former governor of Kano State,

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso , the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party(LP), urged members to embrace dialogue in the interest of the party

“Please let there be no litigation. Party members, please don’t go to court. We want to build a party, we are not lawyers,” he pleaded.

The two political figures were received into the opposition party on Sunday at its national secretariat in Abuja.

Earlier, Obi had announced his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Kwankwaso had indicated he was engaged in “wide-ranging consultations” with the NDC.

The National Chairman of the party, Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, presented membership cards to both leaders at the event.

Speaking afterwards, Kwankwaso said their engagement with NDC stakeholders was driven by a shared vision and ideological alignment.

“We came to discuss with stakeholders of the party and found that our ideologies and beliefs are largely the same,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to register with the NDC ahead of the deadline for party membership registration, stressing the need for broader participation in the political process.