The All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Ondo central senatorial district was on Monday disrupted by sporadic gunshots by suspected political thugs.
The incident forced delegates, newsmen, and residents to flee the scene.
The ward is the polling unit of Adeniyi Adegbonmire, the incumbent senator.
Other aspirants are Taiwo Fasoranti, an ally of Lucky Aiyedatiwa, governor of Ondo, and Olumuyiwa Adu, a legal practitioner.
Adegbonmire described the process as a “complete charade”.
“My supporters were counted first and they were over 360. When they moved to count the next line and it became obvious what was happening, thugs invaded the venue, shot into the air and even fired at my car,” the senator said, claiming he could show bullet marks on his vehicle.
He claimed his supporters were leading with over 360 votes when thugs invaded, shot into the air, and fired at his car.
The senator alleged similar intimidation occurred across the district, with supporters of other candidates prevented from voting.
Adegbonmire said he informed Aiyedatiwa of the incident.
Adu also rejected the exercise, saying armed youths openly threatened delegates and declared that only the governor’s candidate should be voted for.
“There was no primary election in the real sense of it. What happened was a coordinated effort to deny genuine party members their right to vote,” Adu said.
He said although he had the capacity to mobilise resistance, he restrained his supporters to prevent bloodshed.
“No political ambition is worth bloodshed,” he added
