CITIZENS COMPASS —THE All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ondo State, has suspended a ward chairman of the party in Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state, Mr Olumide Awolumate for allegedly breaking a chair on the head of the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Juliana Osadahun.

The embattled chairman was seen in a video engaging in a free-for-all with the commissioner, allegedly inflicting injuries on the latter’s head during the oil subsidy removal palliatives distribution in Arigidi Akoko, on Sunday.

Speaking with our correspondent on the incident, on Monday, the state chairman of the party, Mr Ade Adetimehin, expressed his bitterness over the alleged attack on the commissioner and stated that the party had sat on the matter on Monday.

According to him, the leadership of the party had met and discussed the incident and it had been decided that Awolumate should be suspended from the party.

The chairman said, “The party will not tolerate any indiscipline. Such an act is an act I condemn in entirety and then the party has met on it and the chairman of that ward has been suspended. How can you beat 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 welfarism, you can check from all the local governments, there is nowhere the party was involved in this thing. So, the man has been sanctioned.”

Also, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami in a statement, said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Asabi Abiodun, has condemned the attack and called for an investigation into the incident.

The force PRO said, “Preliminary investigation reveals that the Commissioner who was in the Akoko area to see to the distribution of said palliatives was attacked by the assailant named Awolumate Olumide while having a meeting with some of their party members in the Area.

“The CP has ordered that a thorough investigation be carried out and the case transferred to the SCID (State Criminal Investigation Department), Akure for further probe into what led to the assault.”

Similarly, the Deputy Majority Leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Oluwatosin Ajirotutu, has condemned the alleged assault on the commissioner. She called on the state police command to arrest and prosecute the APC chieftain.