PDP member shot dead, others injured in attack

There was tension in Erijinyan Ekiti at the weekend, following the shooting to death of a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, member, Mr. Ayodele Jeje, by some people alleged to be Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, thugs.

Others injured in the fracas include the mother of another PDP member in the community, Mr. Segun Adewumi, as well as his younger brother; who are being treated for gunshot wounds at an undisclosed hospital in Ado Ekiti.

Sources said a PDP leader in the state, Senator Clement Awoyelu, was not spared as his cars were vandalised in the attack.

The attack, which occurred on Saturday night ahead of the planned defection of about 1, 000 ACN members to the PDP billed for yesterday, had become a blame game for the two parties.

While the PDP said its members were attacked at a preparatory meeting by ACN thugs, the ACN said it was PDP factions that attacked each other.

State PDP Chairman, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe, said that Jeje, Adewumi and others were attacked during a preparatory meeting for a programme where Mr. Segun Adewumi was billed “to lead over 1, 000 members of the ACN to the PDP.”

Ogundipe, in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Femi Omolusi, said “many were injured and cars were damaged.”

The PDP boss called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, to intervene and bring the perpetrators to book.

But state ACN Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, who hails from the community, said his party was not involved in the attack.

Awe said the build up to the crisis had started since Thursday when some PDP members who belonged to a former governor’s group clashed with members of another group in the party over a planned rally by the former in the community.

The ACN chairman said Adewumi once indicated interest to contest for the House of Assembly under the ACN in the 2011 general election. “Since he was not allowed to contest based on the fact that he is still a serving civil servant in Lagos State, he has not been working with the ACN in the town.”

~TON