Ondo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, has physically assaulted a senior reporter with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), Mr Tayo Ikujuni, during the conduct of the All Progressives Congress(APC) governorship primary on Saturday.

The ugly incident occured at about 11.45 am at Eji-Oba High school, Oba-Ile, the venue of Ward 9 election in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Yusuf-Ogunleye reportedly punched the reporter, collected his cell phone and threw it away.

He ordered his political thugs to seize all the electronic gadgets belonging to the reporter.

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Eyewitness account said that trouble started at about 11.45 when the reporter inquire about when the election materials arrived since they have started counting.

The commissioner shouted that “who are you. You’re a useless journalist. You’re a stupid journalist. Go away from here.”

According to Vanguard, timely intervention of some party chieftains and security personnel prevented political thugs from further attack of the reporter.

Contacted, the commissioner, Ogunleye, said that the reporter failed to produce his identity cards when he was asked.

In a swift response, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State council, described the attack and physical assault on the senior journalist by the commissioner as “barbaric and unacceptable.”

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A statement by the state chairman of the union, Prince Leke Adegbite said the action of the Commissioner was uncivilized, and called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to immediately suspend Mr Saka Ogunleye and launch investigation into the incident.

“Ondo NUJ observes with sadness that Mr Ogunleye’s attitude to media professionals was unbecoming of a public office holder.

“We call on Mr Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to place Mr Saka Ogunleye on indefinite suspension for his physical assault on a Senior journalist like Tayo Ikujunni while performing his constitutional roles of monitoring the APC primaries.

“We call on the Commissioner to place damaged handset of the journalist and tender unreserved apology to the victim and the media industry.

“We equally direct Media Houses and professionals to halt the coverage and activities of the Commissioner until our demands are met.”

Governor of Delta State, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, on Saturday, visited the Okuama community of Ewu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state where 17 military officers and soldiers on a peace mission to the community were killed.

This was as he assured indigenes who fled the community in the wake of the crisis of their safe return reiterating that “innocent citizens would not be made to suffer for what they know nothing about”.

It was the first time Oborevwori was visiting the troubled community after he had earlier been allegedly denied access to the community by the military last month.

The PUNCH gathered that the boat conveying the Governor and his delegation to Okuama took off from the jetty of the Nigerian Port Authority in Warri on Saturday morning.

READ ALSO: [JUST IN] Okuama Killings: Army Declares Eight Persons Wanted [FULL LIST]

In the governor’s entourage were top members of his cabinet as well as heads of security agencies in the state.

The Governor was escorted to the community by operatives of the military Joint Task Force.

It will be recalled that the Okuama community had been cordoned off by the military authorities since the March 14 tragic incident which claimed the lives of the soldiers and some civilians.

Oborevwori, during a visit to President Bola Tinubu last month, had told State House correspondents that he had not visited the community because the entire area had been deserted by residents following the military operation in the area.

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Recall that on March 14, 17 military personnel including a lieutenant colonel, two majors and a captain were reportedly ambushed and gruesomely murdered around the Okuama community while on a peace mission over a disputed portion of land between Okuama, an Urhobo community and Okoloba, an Ijaw community on March 17.

Following the killing of the personnel, the Nigerian military had earlier declared eight persons including the traditional ruler of the Ewu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Clement Oghenerukevwe Ikolo, Urhukpe 1 and a renowned professor and President-General of Ewu communities wanted for the killing of the soldiers.

The Ewu monarch, barely 24 hours after he was declared wanted, turned himself in to the police in Delta, but was later handed over to the military for interrogation.

After spending three weeks in a military facility in Abuja, the traditional ruler was however released in the early hours of Friday and handed over to Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central Senatorial District.

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Meanwhile, the released monarch of Ewu Kingdom, His Majesty Ovie Clement Ikolo, has applauded the three Senators from Delta State at the National Assembly for the key role they played in his release by the military.

The traditional ruler who visited Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District in his Maitama, Abuja residence, in the company of his wife and some family members, shortly after regaining his freedom, expressed his gratitude to Senator Nwoko, stating that Nwoko not only visited the Chief of Defence Staff alongside other Delta Senators to intercede on his behalf but also visited him in his Asokoro cell.

He said, “The day you came to visit me was the day I regained my bearings. Your presence gave me hope”.

Responding, Senator Nwoko stated that he was humbled to have been instrumental in the process and grateful that the collective efforts yielded positive results.

He encouraged the king not to be discouraged by the ordeal.

“Who knows what could have happened if you weren’t detained? Perhaps it was necessary to prevent something worse”, the Senator said.

Details later…

As the primary of the All Progressives Congress is ongoing, some of the stakeholders in the election have been crying foul over how the election committee handled the electoral process.

The aggrieved party members alleged that the committee which was headed by the Kogi State Governor, Mr Usman Ododo, was biased in the assignment.

Ododo, who arrived in the state on Saturday morning, addressed some of the aggrieved stakeholders at the distribution centre in the Ijapo area of Akure, saying the electoral materials had been sent to the Ondo South and South-North Senatorial Districts remaining that of the Ondo Central (as at 10.30 am).

“There was no issue, I just came this (Saturday) morning and I was told that the election materials have been taken to Ondo South and Ondo North Senatorial Districts, ” the committee chairman stated.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Ondo Poll: Violence Breaks Out At APC Primary In Okitipupa

But one of the aspirants, Gbenga Edema disagreed with the governor, saying no election materials were taken to anywhere.

He said, “I have been here since 6.30 am and I didn’t see any material taken out of this place. The returning officers and electoral officers of my ward, Mahin Ward 2 in Ilaje Local Government are here and unable to collect any materials.

“What we are asking for is a credible election. So, we are asking the leadership of the party to look into this. If they’re not ready for this election, they should postpone it and the right thing should be done.”

Similarly , the programme officer of the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation, Sola Arowosafe, demanded the cancellation of the whole exercise, alleging that the primary election committee was not fair with the process.

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Ajisafe said, “For APC to bring Ododo to Ondo state is a low to our party and state, and position is that no primary election has taken place, no election materials have left here, and we are saying that the leadership of the party should do the needful by sending another neutral person, just like they did in Edo state to come and conduct another primary election where the good people of Ondo state will freely exercise their franchise to pick their candidate.”

“If the leadership of the party failed to do the needful, then there is a way we will react and we are going to react accordingly. If any results are announced, we are telling the leadership of the party including President Bola Tinubu that no election took place in Ondo state, and no materials were distributed for us to pick our preferred candidate.”

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The media aide to an aspirant, Chief Olusola Oke, Mr Rotimi Ogunleye, also said the committee failed to follow the guidelines of the election.

“We got here around 6:30 am, we don’t know when and where the election materials were sent out from this place to Ondo South and North senatorial districts, the truth of the matter is that there were no materials sent out.

“Why can’t they follow the due process? The national leadership of the party should call Ododo to order, they should follow the guidelines they released,” Ogunleye demanded.