The intra party crisis within the All Progressives Party, APC in Kwara State took a dangerous dimension on Sunday in Offa, Offa Local Government of the state when factions loyal to Senator Lola Ashiru and Abdulwahab Femi Agbaje Whye, the state commissioner for water resources engaged each other in a bloody clash that left several wounded.
Eye witness account said there was sporadic gun shots and wielding of dangerous weapons as the factional groups fought over who controls the party structure in the area.
The account said two people were shot while many others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the State Specialist Hospital, Offa, where they are receiving treatment.
This incident was the second in the last two weeks. Similar brawl between the factions was reported last week Sunday, 13th of June 2021 at Shawo Central meeting point. The clash also led to serious pandemonium in the area.
Instructively, both Agbaje and Ashiru are strong loyalists of the Governor’s AA Group within the party.
Shortly after the crisis, the media aide to Agbaje, Azeez Idowu, issued a statement to exonerate his principal.
According to him: “A weekly ward tour was hitherto organised by the Offa political appointees in Offa local government area, consisting Hon. Femi Whyte, Mallam Abdulmajeed Abdullahi and many others, who, with their followers go round the Wards in solidarity support for the governor.
“The ward tour, since its commencement last Sunday, had been calm, peaceful and without any hitch, until this Sunday (20th June), when the peaceful gathering was invaded by the political thugs and hoodlums, masterminded by one Kanjuko, in an attempt to disorganise the peaceful gathering.
“The thugs, believed to be working for some politicians, stormed the gathering with a white Honda Accord (Baby Boy), said to be owned by one Agbeti and started throwing broken bottles on the lovers of Hon. Femi Whyte,” the statement read.
If this is the position of the Agbaje’s group, a source within the party explained that there had been a long simmering wrangling between Agbaje and Ashiru to the point that Agbaje had vowed to pitch his support for another candidate for Kwara South senatorial slot at the next election because Senator Ashiru had not performed to their expectations.
The source said “Agbaje had on some occasions went on air to abashedly denigrate the person of the senator”
Whatever that may be the underlying factor, the state police command’s spokesman, Mr Okasanmi Ajayi, corroborated Agbajes’s explanation on the crisis. Responding to media enquiry, he wrote via a text message: “On 20/06/2021, yesterday 20/6/2021, at about 345pm, while on a rally in his ward around Thomade area of Offa, Commissioner of water resources, Kwara State Alhaji Abduwahab Agbaje and his group were allegedly attacked by some hoodlums welding dangerous weapons and two of his men were injured in the fracas. The hoodlums have disappeared before the arrival of police men to the scene, the two injured Victims were taken to the hospital for treatment, the commissioner of police Kwara State, CP Mohammed Lawal Bagega has ordered an investigation of the incident. Effort is still in progress to arrest the fleeing hoodlums.
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