APC Supporters Clash At The Party’s Secretariat In Ikeja (Photo)
Supporters of the Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, Comrade Buraimoh Valentine and those of his ‘godfather,’ Comrade Ayodele Adewale, yesterday clashed at the Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on ACME Road, Ikeja.
During the fracas, Comrade Olusegun Adekoya, who was a Personal Assistant to Adewale when he was the local government chairman, was injured by some supporters of Valentine, who were at the secretariat to meet the Lagos APC Ward Congress Appeal Committee over controversy which trailed last Saturday ward congress in the local government area.
Adekoya was beaten because he was ‘rude’ to Valentine, who he refused to greet and accorded respect as chairman of his local government. He was later treated by Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASUMBUS), which brought an ambulance into the secretariat a few hours after the incident to treat Adekoya.
Speaking with journalists, Adekoya accused Valentine of sending touts to attack him. He said: “While walking within the party secretariat, I saw Hon. (Risikat) Adegeye, who called and asked me why I didn’t greet her and I prostrated immediately to greet her.
As I was greeting her, the touts brought into the secretariat by Valentine told me to greet the chairman and I told them he is not my chairman and I can’t greet him. “The touts pounced on me and started beating me.
They gave me a deep cut in the eye and blood was coming from my face. I believe one of them hit me with a charm because since I was beaten; I have being feeling strange pains in my body. They beat me and took my phone.” When asked to react to the attack by his supporters, Valentine refused to talk, saying he had nothing to say about the incident.
But a former member of state House of Assembly, Hon. Risikat Adegeye, who was with Valentine during the attack, said what happened was a test of loyalty. She said: “What happened is a family affairs and it is disagreement between two supporters’ groups who are loyal to their principals. It is a reflection of loyalties between two groups. He (Adekoya) was rude to the chairman and the chairman’s supporters tried to correct him not to be rude to authority. “Ayodele wrote a petition against us over the outcome of last Saturday’s ward congress and we are at the secretariat for serious business. Amuwo Odofin is peaceful.”