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APC chieftain states why he beat Ondo commissioner. The act is outrageous and condemnable, according to the party chairman.
Mr Olumide Awolumate, ward chairman of the Ondo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC), explained on Tuesday why he and the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Juliana Osadahun, got into a fight in Arigidi Akoko, Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state.
On Sunday, during the distribution of palliatives to the residents of the local government, Awolumate and Osadahun participated in a free-for-all. During the scuffle, the commissioner was allegedly hit in the head. Consequently, the state chapter of the party suspended the ward chairman for alleged unruly behaviour.
Awolumate claimed that the commissioner and her son, along with a police officer and another man, came to his house to arrest him and that he never resisted arrest, but the commissioner’s son confronted him, began beating him, and tore his clothes. He stated that he needed to defend himself.
“What happened was that we had a meeting at the local government level, at the house of a leader, Pa Akeju,” he explained. We discussed the party, and the commissioner mentioned the palliatives that were distributed some time ago.
“When the commissioner revealed that the palliatives had been distributed to various sectors, I raised my hand as the party’s ward chairman to say that the ten bags that were supposed to be in my custody had not arrived.” I noted that some groups had been given, which included the Peoples Democratic Party members, artisans and groups and said ours should be sent to me.
“I raised this in the presence of all the leaders of the party, and the commissioner objected to this, saying she was the head of that committee at the state level, but I objected to my non-inclusion in the sharing of the palliatives, as I was not invited.
“This sparked an argument, and I was persuaded to leave the meeting.” I was at home with my family, playing ludo, when I noticed the commissioner with her son and a police officer.”
When he arrived to his house, the commissioner’s son pounced on him from behind and began striking him; he defended himself in front of his wife, children, and friends.
“I got up and fought him off. While I was beating him, the commissioner joined her son in fighting me. In the process, she began pounding and shredding my garments. She was carrying a chair and flung it at me, so I took the chair and tossed it back at her.”
Mr Ade Adetimehin, the party’s state chairman, stated that the party met and discussed the incident, and it was decided that Awolumate should be suspended from the party.
“The party will not tolerate any indiscipline,” the chairman stated. Such an act is very unacceptable to me. The party(APC) convened to discuss it, and the chairman of that ward was suspended. How do you beat up a woman? I don’t tolerate it, please. Let it be very loud and clear. No matter the offence of that honourable commissioner, the party must respect a woman.
“Our party is noted for welfare. You can check from all the local governments, nowhere the party was involved. So, the man has been sanctioned,” he added.
All attempts to contact the commissioner were futile because she did not pick up her phone or react to a text message sent to her at the time of submitting this report.