The political crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has deepened following the disruption of the party's House of Representatives and senatorial primary election processes. The crisis intensified after a group identified as 'Ondo State APC Concern' addressed a petition to the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda.
Allegations of Hijacked Primaries
The 'Ondo State APC Concern' alleged powerful interests of hijacking the primaries, manipulating results, and using violence to disrupt the democratic process. In the petition, the group condemned the 'kangaroo primaries' and called for urgent intervention to restore credibility to the exercise. The aggrieved members accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of failing to ensure a transparent process.
This was contained in a statement issued and made available to Legit.ng on Monday, May 18, 2026. They alleged that only results for Akure South/Akure North, Okitipupa/Irele, and Ondo East/Ondo West were announced out of the nine federal constituencies in the state. The group added that party members claimed that those declared winners were not the actual victors.
Violation of APC Guidelines
According to the group, the declarations violated APC guidelines and bypassed due collation procedures. The petitioners further claimed that results for six other constituencies — Akoko North East/North West, Akoko South East/South West, Owo/Ose, Idanre/Ifedore, Ilaje/Ese-Odo, and Odigbo/Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo — remained pending after the collation process was disrupted.
They alleged that political thugs invaded the venue on Sunday evening, forcing members of the National Assembly Election Committee led by Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi to flee the APC secretariat in Akure. The group alleged that committee members, party officials, and others were forced to abandon the exercise despite the presence of security operatives after a disqualified aspirant from Idanre stormed the venue with supporters.
Gunshots Disrupt Proceedings
As reported by TheCable, gunshots disrupted proceedings at a senatorial primary venue, forcing delegates and party officials to scamper for safety as rival camps clashed over the conduct of the exercise. The petitioners argued that the interrupted collation process violated the APC's established procedures, which require results to move through ward, local government, and constituency collation centres before final submission to the party's national headquarters.
'The APC cannot afford to reward impunity and violence with political advantage,' the group warned. They stated that allowing the disputed process to stand could damage the party's credibility ahead of the 2027 elections.
Man Shot Dead at APC Primaries
Recall that a man was shot dead during All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the House of Representatives seat in Plateau State. It was gathered that disagreement over delayed primary election sparked protests among members of the ruling APC. A resident identified as Ibrahim Sale said soldiers fired shots after being pelted with stones by protesting youths.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the APC senatorial primary elections were disrupted in Akure, the Ondo state capital, by some suspected thugs who attacked the venue with gunshots. Reports indicated that the incident caused panic in the area and nearby schools as parents rushed to pick up their children and wards, while party members ran for their safety. The incident happened amid the release of an updated list of senatorial aspirants to contest in the ongoing primaries across the country.
