Attack on Adetimehin Threatens APC Unity in Ondo — PBAT Elders Warn

The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) Mandate Elders Forum in Ondo State has strongly condemned the violent attack on the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, describing the incident as a “humiliating spectacle” and a threat to internal democracy within the ruling party.

The elders, who addressed journalists at a world press briefing in Akure on Wednesday, called on President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC to urgently intervene in the crisis rocking the party, particularly following the bloody ward congress in the state.

The forum described the assault on Adetimehin and other party leaders during a stakeholders’ meeting at the party secretariat as a disgrace to the APC and a dangerous slide into factional politics and lawlessness.

Speaking on behalf of the Forum’s Chairman, Pa Erastus Akeju, the Spokesman, Hon. Demola Ijabiyi, said the attack undermined the moral authority of the party and eroded the values upon which it was built.

He warned that violence, intimidation, and the public humiliation of party leaders could weaken the party’s foundation and damage its collective image both in Ondo State and nationally.

“Political disagreements must never degenerate into brigandage,” Ijabiyi said. “When dialogue gives way to force, it diminishes the integrity of the political process and plants the seeds of long-term division.”

The elders maintained that the attack was not merely a personal affront against Adetimehin but a blow to the party’s unity and credibility. They stressed that the APC’s strength lies in consultation, persuasion, and unity of purpose rather than coercion.

The group cautioned against the crystallisation of factions within the party, noting that such tendencies could undermine its broader national objectives, especially at a time when it should be consolidating support for the administration of President Tinubu.

“There is no justification for factional rivalry at a time when the party’s primary focus is strengthening the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the forum stated, urging members to subordinate personal ambitions to party unity.

The elders further expressed concern over what they described as the desecration of the party secretariat, saying it reflected a worrying decline in political culture and discipline.

“When respected leaders are attacked within their own party office, it signals a breakdown of discipline. Silence in such moments only emboldens impunity,” the statement added

The forum therefore urged President Tinubu, as national leader of the APC, to deploy his moral authority to restore calm, enforce discipline, and ensure accountability within the Ondo chapter of the party.

“We urge Mr. President to intervene decisively to ensure accountability and to reaffirm that violence cannot and will not be a path to political relevance within our party,” the elders said.

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They also called on the APC national leadership to institute an independent investigation into the incident and impose appropriate sanctions where necessary.

“Discipline must be firm, but it must also be fair. Justice that is swift and transparent will reassure members that the party remains guided by principle rather than power,” the forum added.