At a gathering of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders on Saturday in Edo State’s Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, violence broke out.
The well-attended strategic conference was held at the private home of APC’s top leader in Ikpoba-Okha LGA, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, a previous governorship candidate, off Dumez/Sapele Road, Benin, ahead of the April 24 start of the campaigns and September 21, 2024 governorship election.
APC officials and members were hurt when a large group of thugs and hoodlums broke into the venue shortly after the meeting started.
Some of them are said to be on danger list in hospitals in Benin while many expensive vehicles were vandalised and other valuables carted away by the hoodlums.
Agbonayinma, speaking with reporters in Benin over the sad incident, said: “The attackers vandalised vehicles, broke chairs and tables. They also carted away drinks and a generator that was brought to power the equipment for the meeting, and they destroyed the hired musical equipment.
“This is not how politics should be played. Going violent and beating up elderly persons are condemnable. My teeming supporters and I cannot be intimidated. We are marching forward, and, God willing, victory is sure for Edo APC and its governorship candidate.
“For sometime, APC’s leaders and members in Ikpoba-Okha LGA have been pleading with me to come and take the leadership position, especially to be the apex leader of APC in Ikpoba-Okha LGA, but I told them that I was not interested because of what I have gone through. I lost my grown-up son and I am still going through a lot, because of the trauma.”
Many security operatives, particularly personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) and policemen from Edo command, were later deployed to the venue before normalcy was restored.
The stakeholders proceeded with the meeting after then.
Agbonaiyinma declared that the hoodlums that invaded the venue of the meeting would pay dearly for all the valuable items they destroyed
