Four aspirants vying for the House of Representatives seat of Ondo East/West Federal Constituency have rejected the purported adoption of Hon. Abiola Makinde as the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections. The aspirants, who have all obtained nomination forms, demanded that the party leadership conduct a free and fair direct primary instead of what they described as an imposed arrangement aimed at securing a third term for the incumbent lawmaker.
Dr Jibayo Adeyeye, Hon. Ade Adeniyi, Hon. Bola Fisayo, and Dr Michael Ajilo made their position known on Thursday following a joint meeting in Ondo town, where they resolved to collectively resist any attempt to circumvent the democratic primary process. According to the four aspirants, their separate acquisition of nomination and expression of interest forms demonstrated their full preparedness for a direct primary, which they insist remains the legitimate and logical move for the selection of the party's standard-bearer in the constituency.
They maintained that they were never consulted nor participated in any consensus arrangement leading to the endorsement of any candidate for the Ondo East/West federal constituency. The aspirants, in a communique jointly signed and made available to newsmen, emphasised that they remain committed members of the APC and have all completed the statutory requirements to contest the forthcoming primary election of the party.
The communiqué read in parts: 'That we are members of APC. That we have all obtained the Expression of Interest and Nomination form to contest the forthcoming primary election of our party. We are not part of any consensus arrangements leading to the endorsement of any candidate for our federal constituency. We are aware of the yearnings and aspirations of our constituents concerning the fielding of credible candidates to represent us at the National Assembly. We are also aware that the issue of poor representation is a topical issue in the Ondo kingdom for which our constituents are greatly affected. That we have offered ourselves as credible alternatives in the APC. That we are discussing amongst ourselves and will come up with a consensus in due course. We release this communique to reassure our constituents that help and indeed renewed hope are on the way.'
