The venue was the Yola residence of Dr Umar Ardo, the convener of the splinter group named Reformed PDP (R-PDP).
Six damaged cars where they were parked Tuesday evening when newsmen visited the place, but all the three people said to have been injured had left the scene.
Dr Umar Ardo, who spoke on the development, specified that the thugs inflicted injuries on three people who had left to seek treatment.
Ardo was categorical that the thugs were sent by government to stop the meeting, which he said was the inaugural get-together of the duly constituted R-PDP.
Ardo had in November last year addressed a select group of newsmen, announcing a decision by some aggrieved PDP members to part ways with the main PDP, attributing the action to differences with the PDP leadership in the state.
Recounting the Tuesday attack, Dr Ardo said, “We were holding our meeting here in my house when suddenly we heard a loud sound at the gate as some hoodlums, about 15-17 of them crashed in holding machetes, rods, stones and sticks, saying that the state government was not in support of the meeting we were holding.
“Before we knew it, they started hauling stones and those other things they were holding, injuring us and breaking windows of my house and smashing glasses and windscreens of cars.”
Blaming the attack on the PDP leadership led by Barr Tahir Shehu, Dr Ardo said, “It’s because we do not support the PDP leadership. We reject the AT Shehu leadership because it was not constituted legally. I said this from Day 1.”
Asked why he should be accusing the state government for the attack when it is the PDP that his group has issues with, the R-PDP convener said the government is that of the PDP.
Speaking for the government, however, the Director of Media and Publicity in the Government House, Mr Solomon Kumanagar, said the government had nothing to do with the attack.
“This is a responsible government which views the security of every resident with all seriousness,” Kumangar said, adding that the alleged involvement of government in the attack was just political gameplay.
Dr Ardo had said in his conversation with newsmen that the police responded to his distress call and rushed over to disperse the thugs, but the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, who was contacted just before press time, said he was yet to be acquainted with the incident.
