BY OLUWARAISE-ME-UP
The planned inauguration of the Ekiti State executive of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday was thrown into chaos as hoodlums, suspected to be thugs loyal to the ruling party in the state, invaded the venue and disrupted the event.
Members of the party, who had gathered in high spirits to receive the national leadership of the ADC from Abuja, were left in shock as the peaceful atmosphere suddenly turned violent.
PRECISE NEWS observed debris of burnt canopies littered the premises of the secretariat. The canopies, instruments of the musician reportedly erected on Monday night to fast-track arrangements for the inauguration, were set ablaze by suspected political thugs intent on sabotaging the programme.
Undeterred, the state leadership and members of ADC relocated to an open space in front of the secretariat to continue the event. However, around noon, as the music stand was entertaining guests with classic Yoruba tunes, another group of political thugs struck, firing gunshots indiscriminately and sending the crowd running for safety.
The disruption occurred just moments after the State Chairman of the ADC had announced that the National Secretary of the party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, alongside other top national officers, were on their way to Ekiti, urging members to remain calm and orderly.
A call to one of the party aspirants , Ambassador Dare Bejide, described the ugly incident as barbaric, saying those that disrupted the programme were enemy of democracy. According to him, politics is about choice and not fostering a candidate on the masses. He added that further investigation would be conducted.
