There was panic in parts of Ondo Central Senatorial District on Monday after gunshots disrupted the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in several wards.
The violence reportedly started when suspected political thugs invaded some voting centres during the exercise.
One of the affected areas was Ward 5, Okelisa, along Amudipe Street in Akure, where supporters of Senator Adeniyi Adegbomire were allegedly attacked by armed men believed to be loyal to another aspirant in the race.
Adegbomire, who is contesting for the APC senatorial ticket, reportedly escaped unharmed after his vehicle was allegedly shot at during the chaos.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers fired several shots into the air, creating fear and confusion at the venue as security personnel quickly moved the senator away from the scene.
The incident forced journalists covering the election, traders in the area, and pupils of a nearby primary school to run for safety as tension spread across the neighbourhood.
Reports also claimed that the hoodlums carried machetes and allegedly assaulted some voters while disrupting the counting process at the ward.
Reacting to the incident, Adegbomire accused some individuals of deliberately sabotaging the primary election.
According to him, the voting process appeared to be going in his favour before the violence suddenly erupted.
The senator alleged that political thugs were used to intimidate his supporters and prevent them from participating freely in the exercise.
Speaking to journalists after the incident, he described the election as a “charade,” claiming that his supporters were being blocked from accessing voting centres in different parts of the senatorial district.
He further alleged that some voters were reportedly told to leave the venue if they were not supporting another aspirant in the contest.
Adegbomire also claimed that the violence and intimidation were coordinated across several wards to disrupt the election process and influence the outcome of the primaries.