Kunle ADELABU and Wale JAGUN
-Ikorodu Council Leader, party chieftains, others badly injured, dispossessed of valuable items
Protests by different factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikorodu over the list of party executives approved for Ikorodu by the State Secretariat of the party assumed a very dangerous dimension on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, as members engaged themselves in a brutal confrontation at the state’s party secretariat at ACME, Ikeja.
There have been running battles among different political groups and caucuses since the party had its ward and local government Congresses in Ikorodu division.
The infighting stemmed from the desire of the party chieftains and groups to wrestle the control of the party from one another.
The fight was intensified after the swearing in of the party’s local government chairmen at the party secretariat in Ikeja and the handing over of other council and ward excos to them.
Since then, there have been allegations and counter-allegations regarding the composition of the exco list.
These have resulted in several protests by the aggrieved parties across the six local governments in Ikorodu division, especially in Ikorodu Central LG and Ikorodu Norh LCDA.
Hon. Wasiu Adeshina and Hon. Adeola Banjo, chairmen of Ikorodu Central and Ikorodu North LCDA respectively, had led several protests to the state party secretariat against the existing list which has the names of the six recognised party chairmen in the division.
THE IMPACT reliably gathered that these protests culminated into a reconciliation parley called at the state’s party on Tuesday, June 18, 2018.
At the said meeting, which was attended by the aggrieved party chieftains and members from Ikorodu division, it was gathered that the party appealed to the aggrieved members to sheath their swords and embrace peaceful coexistence.
It was also gathered that the aggrieved members were implored to accept the decision of the party regarding the lists, while the party chairmen at the local government level in Ikorodu wère directed to reconcile with the aggrieved parties.
Another source also informed THE IMPACT that the Tuesday parley only resolved to meet at a later date for reconciliation of the two groups positions.
This was the situation until Wednesday, 20, 2018, when THE IMPACT gathered that the favoured group from the six councils had mobilised themselves to ACME on a thank you visit and were attacked with matchets, charms, canes and other dangerous weapons.
Some of those attacked alleged that the thugs were brought to ACME by Hon. Wasiu Adesina and Hon. Banjo.
But in a counter allegation, some of the party men loyal to the two chairmen’s group denied the accusation and in turn alleged that it was the other group which had come on a ‘Thank you’ rally that first attacked them and that they only defended themselves.
Speaking with our reporter, one of the victims from Ikorodu North LCDA, stated that they were already within the premises of the State’s party secretariat when armed men attacked them from all angles.
”We went thère (ACME) peacefully to stage a thank you march for Asiwaju Tinubu and the party for doing justice by upholding our list. We were already within the premises when we saw some hoodlums from different directions with arms, unleashing terror on us”, he alleged.
“We started running helter-skelter and those bold enough summoned up the courage to defend themselves and engaged the attackers while others ran for their dear lives.”
Another victim from Ikorodu Central said, ” It was unfortunate that both Ikorodu Central and Ikorodu North LCDA Chairmen are not tolerant. They have been going to ACME to protest without anybody disturbing them. Why are they now attacking us today because the party has finally affirmed our list as authentic?” he queried.
Meanwhile, some party members on the side of the Council chairmen also complained that it was the other group that first attacked them and that they only defended themselves.
“Who told you that? They are the ones who first attacked us. They beat Alhaji Odidi and others mercilessly. We were at the ACME in continuation of our peaceful protest against the list when these people attacked us and started beating anybody around” , he alleged.
One of the major victims on the side of the group that went for the ‘Thank you’ rally was Hon. Salman Ayobami, the Council Leader of the Ikorodu Local Government.
He was said to have been badly attacked with cutlass and other dangerous weapons during the mayhem at the state’s party secretariat.
Meanwhile, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, in his own reaction to the allegation leveled against him over the attack, denied his involvement.
“It was a pure lie. I never stepped out of the council secretariat today (Wednesday), because we were preparing for the party’s convention slated for Abuja. Even, the party chairman, Alhaji Longe called me requesting for a meeting and I gave him 11am appointment but he did not show up”, Hon Adeshina stated.
“I was in the council all through the day but I received several calls from party chieftains and members that they are being attacked by the other group and I wondered why, because we were only told on Tuesday to come back yesterday (Wednesday) with two representatives each to resolve the ward and local government exco lists.
“I was told that it was the Council Leader (Hon. Salman) and Hon. Olosugbo that led the other group that attacked them”, Hon. Adesina alleged.
“Mr Kehinde Ayanbadejo and Alhaji Ola-Four among others on our side were seriously beaten and their clothes torn, he alleged further.
The chairman also condemned the alleged disruption of activities at the council secretariat by some political office holders on the ground that the Council Leader was attacked at ACME, stating that what happened at ACME should be treated as purely party issue and not to be allowed to negatively affect the working at the council secretariat.
Speaking on the attack on the Council Leader, Hon Adesina stated that the Leader by virtue of his position should have applied for protection when going for such outing.
In his reaction to what happened at ACME and the attack on the Council Leader, the Majority Leader of Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Omotayo Awolesi, denied the allegations by the council chairman that he led other councilors to disrupt activities at the council secretariat.
“Myself, Hon. Awobajo and Hon. Banwo, only went to the council with the badly injured council Leader to call the council chairman’s attention to his condition but he refused to answer us and drove out of the secretariat”, Hon. Awolesi stated.
“The next thing we saw was that policemen moved into the council premises, though, they did not come near us.”
Speaking on what happened at ACME, Hon. Awolesi debunked the allegation that their group were the one that attacked the council chairmen’s group, while also alleging that it was the aides of the Ikorodu Local Government Chairman that pointed out Hon. Salman to the thugs that battered him.
“It was one Mrs Ayi and Gbenga, former Chairman of Ward G (Agura), both of whom are loyal aides of Hon. Adesina, that pointed out Hon. Ayobami to the thugs at ACME, alleging that he is loyal to Hon. Agunbiade”, he alleged.
“He was not only beaten, the thugs also dispossessed him of his two phones, money and wristwatch. After leaving the council secretariat unattended to by the chairman, we took him to the Ikorodu General Hospital for treatment.
Hon Gbenga Awobajo also debunked the allegation by the Council Chairman that they disrupted activities at the council secretariat and also accused him of sending thugs to ACME to unleash terror on party members during the peaceful rally.
“We only brought the injured Council Leader to him to see what his thugs have done to him but he ran out of the council and never returned”, Hon. Awobajo stated.
“We even arrived the council after the official hours and there was no one affected. On what basis is the chairman alleging that we disrupted the council activities. Council staff members only joined us to sympathise with the injured Council leader”.
He also alleged that thugs loyal to the Chairmen of Ikorodu Central and Ikorodu North LCDA attacked the unarmed party members at ACME.
“It was Omidele and one other thug popularly known as ‘Badoo’ who are loyal to Hon. Adesina and Hon. Banjo respectively, that led other thugs to unleash the terror. They worked with one Ayi, who is a female chieftain of WADESH Babes (Hon. Wasiu Adesina’s women group). She was the one pointing at us and telling the thugs that we are loyal to Hon. Agunbiade”, he alleged.
THE IMPACT also gathered that Hon. Jimoh Olosugbo was attacked and badly injured and was also dispossessed of his two phones and other valuables
He was, however, not available for comment as at the time of going to press.
It was also gathered that a chieftain of the party from Ikorodu West LCDA, was also injured during the fracas.
Attempts to also reach Hon. Adeola Banjo and Hon. Salman Ayobami, Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA and Council Leader, Ikorodu Central LG respectively, on phone proved abortive while text messages sent to their mobile phones have not been responded to as at the time of going to press.
