Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has denied any involvement in the attack on leaders of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which left the party chairman, Ade Adetimehin, and other chieftains injured.

The governor, who led party leaders from across the state to a stakeholders’ meeting with members of APC congress committees from the national secretariat, described the attack as the handiwork of “miscreants” with vested interests in the party’s Wednesday ward congresses.

Several party chieftains had accused the governor of sponsoring thugs to disrupt a stakeholders’ meeting. The ensuing violence reportedly left the state chairman injured and led to the hospitalisation of several party leaders.

Speaking to journalists after the stakeholders’ meeting, Aiyedatiwa said an earlier plan for a 10 a.m. meeting on Tuesday was never finalised, noting that he had requested the meeting be shifted to 2 p.m. to enable him and other top officials, including the Speaker and Deputy Governor, to attend.

While stressing his commitment to due process and denying any hostility towards the congresses, the governor attributed the violence to factional disputes over candidacy. He said the earlier incident involved rival supporters and was not an officially sanctioned party meeting.

“At about 11 a.m., I got a call from the party chairman, Ade Adetimehin, about a stakeholders’ meeting. I approved it but asked that it be fixed for 2 p.m. because I was attending the 50th birthday of a cabinet member who is also a stakeholder,” he said.

“Normally, stakeholders’ meetings are attended by the governor, the Speaker and the Deputy Governor. This one was impromptu because of the ward and local government congresses.

“Later, I was informed that there were miscreants around the party secretariat. I asked that the Commissioner of Police be contacted, and I also called personally to ensure security was deployed because I was going to attend the meeting. The secretariat was secured before we arrived, and we eventually had a peaceful meeting after the miscreants were chased away.”

Earlier, the Ward Congress Committee, led by Margaret Aruruenu (Chairman) and Smart Iheazor (Secretary), briefed party leaders on preparations for the congresses, assuring that the exercise would be conducted in line with party guidelines and the APC constitution.

Party leaders Tolu Babaleye (North), Ifedayo Abegunde (Central) and Ola Oguntimehin (South) praised the peaceful conduct of the screening exercise.

Also speaking, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, commended the congress committees and assured that the exercise would remain peaceful across the state.