Not less than five persons, yesterday, sustained serious injuries in Ikare-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State as APC and those of the PDP clashed.
The clash comes as political parties intensify campaigns for the gubernatorial election scheduled to hold in October.
Reports say the violent confrontation between the two major political parties began when the campaign train of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu met that of Eyitayo Jegede, the candidate of the PDP. Both parties blamed each other for instigating the clash.
However, Jegede has alleged plot to assassinate him.
Jegede said he narrowly escaped being killed at Oba-Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area yesterday when suspected thugs, allegedly working for the APC attacked his convoy.
Addressing a press conference, Jegede alleged that some thugs who carried guns and other dangerous weapons shot at his vehicle and some other vehicles in his convoy during a campaign tour to Oba-Akoko.
He said the state police command had already approved his campaign in the town and granted him permit, which allowed only his party, to campaign in the town, only to meet members of the APC in the town.
Jegede alleged that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu was in the vehicle with some other members of the APC when the attack was carried out.
He said 15 vehicles, belonging to the PDP were destroyed when the thugs fired gunshots at his convoy.
He recalled that a former chairman of the APC in the state, Isaac Kekemeke, had threatened to unleash terror on members of the opposition parties in a video which went viral on the social media.
He also recalled the gruesome murder of a leader of the Zenith Labour Party in Idanre, warning the ruling party against violence ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.
He called on the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and other security chiefs not to allow Ondo State to be plunged into violence, just as he called for proper investigations into the alleged assassination attempts on him.
But the APC denied knowledge of the attack, alleging that the PDP members were those who attacked some loyalists of Governor Akeredolu during the PDP rally.
Spokesperson of the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation, Olatunde Olabode, alleged that the APC members were attacked at the palace of the Oloba of Oba-Akoko.
(C) Control TV 2020.
