PDP Supporters clash, exchange blows in Ogun over President Jonathan’s gifts, two National officers held hostage

Members of the Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, yes­terday violently protested the failure of some leaders of the party to disburse the fund allegedly

meant for the state coordinators engaged for the re-election of Presi­dent Goodluck Jonathan.

The sensitization meet­ing of the 708 coordinators, drawn from the 236 wards in the state, came to an abrupt end when the atmosphere at the venue located in a hotel along Quarry Road, Abeokuta became charged.

The five-hour meeting ended when angry party members held two party leaders, including the National Auditor, Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju and the South-West Secretary of the party, Chief Pegba Otemolu, hostage.

The coordinators were said to have been provoked when the national auditor told them that the fund meant for them was not available at the mo­ment. A source at the meeting said Adeyanju told the coordi­nators that the money had not been deposited in the desig­nated account.

The coordinators were, however, said to have become more infuriated when they dis­covered that N1 million had allegedly been paid the ho­tel management for food and drinks that were not served to them.

The coordinators were said to have then held the two party leaders hostage, insisting that they would only allow them to go after they had released the fund meant for them.

The two party leaders were held hostage for hours after which some suspected po­litical thugs escorted Otemolu out of the hall and bundled him hurriedly into his waiting Honda sport utility vehicle (SUV).

 However, an attempt by Otemolu’s driver to whisk him away from the rowdy and charged scene resulted in an accident, which left one of the coordinators from Sagamu se­riously injured.