Lekan Yusuf, Ibadan
Five governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State have raised serious concerns over the conduct of the House of Representatives primary election held on May 16, 2026, warning that alleged imposition, intimidation, and manipulation could threaten the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.
The aspirants — former Deputy Governor of Oyo State Engr Rauf Olaniyan, Prince Musbau Asanike, Barrister Akeem Agbaje, Dr. Ololade Usman Bakare and Engr. Oyedele Hakeem Alao — made their position known during a press conference held at the Conference Hall of the Millennium Press Centre, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
In a communiqué jointly issued after extensive consultations with party leaders, stakeholders, and aggrieved members across the 33 local government areas of the state, the aspirants described the exercise as one marred by “systemic irregularities, procedural violations, and erosion of trust.”
The governorship hopefuls alleged that several party members were disenfranchised during the exercise through intimidation, threats, and exclusion from voting venues, contrary to the principles of internal democracy.
According to the communiqué, the House of Assembly primaries were largely peaceful and rancour-free, but concerns over alleged imposition emerged during the House of Representatives primaries conducted last weekend.
The aspirants also condemned what they described as arbitrary disqualification of aspirants without due process or screening appeals, insisting that such actions violated provisions of the APC constitution guaranteeing fair hearing.
They further claimed that in some constituencies across Oke-Ogun, Ibarapa, and Oyo zones, election results were allegedly announced despite no voting taking place, describing the development as a direct violation of democratic principles and the Electoral Act.
Speaking during the press engagement, the aspirants maintained that their intervention was not driven by personal fears over the forthcoming governorship primaries, but by the need to protect the integrity of the party’s internal processes.
“APC is a mega party, and disagreements are inevitable, but what we seek is a transparent and fair process from top to bottom within the party structure,” one of the aspirants stated.
They stressed that transparency and fairness were necessary to preserve unity within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The communiqué warned that repeated acts of alleged imposition and exclusion could deepen divisions within the party, weaken grassroots mobilisation, and ultimately jeopardise APC’s electoral fortunes in Oyo State.
The aspirants, however, reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC and declared that they were not opposed to consensus arrangements or direct primaries, provided the processes remained credible, transparent, and acceptable to party members.
They also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC National Working Committee to intervene and ensure free, fair, and credible primaries in Oyo State.
“We are not at war with anyone. This is a family matter. We only want fairness, transparency, and unity within the party,” the communiqué added.
The governorship aspirants concluded by urging the Oyo APC leadership to embrace reconciliation built on justice, equity, and respect for the will of party members, warning that failure to address the grievances could lead to avoidable setbacks for the party in 2027.
