Lucky Aiyedatiwa denies involvement in attack on Ade Adetimehin

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has dismissed claims that he ordered thugs to attack the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Akure.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when suspected hoodlums disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting at the party’s secretariat, attacking Ade Adetimehin, the APC caretaker chairman in the state, along with other party leaders.
Adetimehin was reportedly beaten and had his phone seized, forcing stakeholders to abandon the meeting convened ahead of the party’s ward congresses. The attack threw the venue into confusion as the assailants, armed with sticks and machetes, chased members away.
Following the incident, Adetimehin alleged that members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, led by chairman Ademola Odudu, carried out the attack on the governor’s instructions.
“I was at a birthday ceremony”
Responding to the allegation, Aiyedatiwa said he had no role in the violence, explaining that he was attending a birthday celebration at the time of the attack.
The governor said he had earlier received a call from the party chairman about the planned stakeholders’ meeting and advised that it be rescheduled to 2pm so he and other leaders could attend after the event.
He described the meeting as impromptu, noting that it was convened in preparation for ward and local government congresses.
According to him, the disturbance was caused by rival groups loyal to different aspirants within the party, insisting that most stakeholders, including himself, were away at the birthday gathering when the violence broke out.
Aiyedatiwa reiterated that he routinely attends stakeholders’ meetings alongside other top officials and had no reason to sponsor any disruption.