At least two persons were reportedly killed on Wednesday during the ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, as violence erupted in Idanre, Idanre Local Government Area.

Several others were said to have sustained injuries during the crisis, which also led to the burning of a vehicle.

The incident came barely 24 hours after suspected political thugs disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting at the party’s secretariat in Akure. The meeting was presided over by the state chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin.

Sources in Idanre said the congress could not hold in some wards as hoodlums allegedly attacked party members.

The cause of the violence was yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

One of the victims was identified as Raphael Adetimehin, said to be a brother of the state APC chairman. He was reportedly attacked at his ward in Idanre.

Confirming the development, Ade Adetimehin said his brother was shot and macheted by suspected thugs who allegedly mistook him for the chairman.

“My brother was attacked; those who attacked him thought I was the one because we resemble each other very well. After shooting and macheting him, they left him when they thought he was dead. I don’t know why we are playing our politics to this extent,” he stated.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said he would get back to our correspondent when reached on the telephone.

The crisis highlights escalating tension within the Ondo State chapter of the APC ahead of the party’s internal restructuring process.

On Tuesday, suspected thugs stormed the party secretariat in Akure and disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting, injuring several members and forcing an abrupt end to proceedings.

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A pre-congress stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State turned violent on Tuesday as suspected thugs invaded the party secretariat in Akure, leaving many injured and the state chairman and a commissioner beaten.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours before the nationwide ward congress scheduled to be held across 203 wards in the state.

An eyewitness, Yetunde Adeyanju, said the attackers, armed with dangerous weapons, shouted that they were from Aiyedatiwa and claimed, “We don’t want congress in Ondo State. The governor is in charge. The governor is the leader of the state, and the governor is in charge.

“Nobody can query the authority of the governor, and anybody who wants to talk about congress in Ondo State will be assassinated. If you talk about congress in Ondo State, you will be assassinated.”

Another eyewitness confirmed that several party leaders, including the state chairman, Mr Ade Adetimehin, a commissioner on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr Otito Atikase, and former Commissioner for Sports, Mr Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, were beaten. Those injured were rushed to hospitals for treatment.

Adetimehin corroborated the attack, alleging that the thugs were sponsored to disrupt the meeting.

“Thirty minutes later, the place was invaded by thugs, with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. They beat all leaders and members, except those who are for them.

“They beat me and dragged me on the floor; they took away my two phones, money, and wristwatch,” he said.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, however, denied any involvement of the governor, describing the allegation as “unfounded, false and misleading.”

In a statement, he said, “The governor was neither aware of nor connected to the said meeting and could not have sanctioned any act of thuggery. His leadership reflects a strong aversion to violence and political intimidation in any form.”

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Abayomi Jimoh, said the situation had been brought under control.

“The police command received a distress call, and we immediately swung into action, deploying operatives to the APC state secretariat.

“Efforts of these operatives restored calmness to the area,” he said, adding that tactical teams had been deployed and investigations were ongoing.

Nigeria’s major opposition parties have expressed readiness for the 2027 general elections following the release of the timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission, while demanding credible and transparent polls.

The Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party and the African Democratic Congress said they were prepared to participate, but stressed that the integrity of the process would determine the legitimacy of the outcome.

According to INEC, the presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on February 20, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for March 6, 2027.

Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly polls will run from November 18, 2026, to February 19, 2027. Governorship and state Assembly campaigns will begin on December 15, 2026, and end on March 5, 2027, 24 hours before the elections.

Political parties are expected to conduct primaries between July 1 and September 30, 2026, and submit their candidates’ lists between October 1 and October 31, 2026.

PDP declares readiness

The PDP National Caretaker Committee, aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said the party was fully prepared for the elections.

In a statement, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, urged members and aspirants to remain focused, assuring them that internal disputes and pending litigations would be resolved ahead of the primaries window.

“The PDP is fully prepared to meet all constitutional and regulatory requirements within the stipulated timelines,” the statement read, while reaffirming the party’s commitment to offering what it described as credible leadership in 2027.

Separately, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee of the PDP also declared readiness for the polls, provided INEC guarantees free, fair and credible elections.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said, “Whenever INEC is ready for the elections, the PDP will be ready, provided it can guarantee free, fair and credible elections.”

NNPP faults election budget

The NNPP welcomed the timetable but urged INEC to use the intervening period to prepare for an election acceptable to Nigerians and the international community.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the party’s spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, expressed concern over the N873.778bn budgeted for the elections, describing it as excessive.

“What are they using that huge amount for? Are they building new mobile phone towers to transmit results? I don’t know what they budgeted N800bn for, but it sounds ridiculous,” he said.

ADC seeks real-time transmission

The ADC also welcomed the timetable but said the credibility of the elections would depend on transparent procedures, particularly the real-time electronic transmission of results.

In a statement, its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said while the early release of the timetable allows for proper planning, public confidence would rest on INEC’s commitment to transparency and technological integrity.

He urged the commission to clarify its readiness to adopt real-time transmission if legal amendments are enacted and called on the National Assembly to remove ambiguities in the Electoral Act.

“Nigerians have shown, time and again, that they are ready to defend the sanctity of their votes. What is now required is for the electoral umpire to match that civic vigilance with institutional clarity, operational transparency and administrative excellence,” he said.