Concerned members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have petitioned the party's national leadership over alleged irregularities and disruption of the House of Representatives primary elections. The group described the exercise as a 'kangaroo primary' and called for urgent intervention.
Petition Details
In a statement addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, the group alleged that the primary election process conducted across federal constituencies in the state was marred by irregularities, political interference, and violence. The petition, signed by Kola Adesina on behalf of 'Ondo State APC Concern,' claimed that although primaries were conducted across nine federal constituencies, the results announced for some did not reflect the actual outcomes.
Disrupted Process
According to the statement, results were declared for Akure South/Akure North, Okitipupa/Irele, and Ondo East/Ondo West federal constituencies, but due process was not followed during the announcement. The group further stated that results for six constituencies – Akoko North East/North West, Akoko South West/South East, Owo/Ose, Idanre/Ifedore, Ilaje/Ese-Odo, and Odigbo/Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo – remained unannounced following the disruption of the collation process.
The petition alleged that members of the National Assembly Election Committee, led by Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi, had arrived at the Ondo State APC Secretariat in Akure on Sunday evening to resume announcement of results before the process was disrupted. The venue was allegedly invaded by political thugs linked to a disqualified aspirant from Idanre, forcing committee members, journalists, and party officials to flee despite the presence of security personnel.
External Interference
The group also alleged that the disruption followed a phone call to the state party chairman by an individual said to be a serving commissioner in the state government, instructing that the process be halted pending resolution of disputes in some constituencies. The petitioners said the committee subsequently suspended the exercise over security concerns and left the venue without concluding the announcement of results.
'This development is unacceptable and fatal to the credibility of the outcome,' the statement read. 'The invasion of the collation venue by thugs and the truncation of the process by external interference undermine the will of APC members who participated in the primaries.'
Call for Action
The group further accused the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of failing to prevent the alleged irregularities and called on the party's national leadership to intervene immediately. The petition argued that the process violated established APC procedures for collation and announcement of National Assembly primary election results, which should pass through ward, local government, and constituency collation stages before submission to the party's national headquarters.
The group demanded that the APC national leadership reject the disrupted process, direct the election committee to reconvene under adequate security, and investigate allegations of political interference and the use of thugs to disrupt the exercise. According to the petitioners, allowing the outcome to stand could damage the credibility of the APC in Ondo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
'We trust that the National Leadership will act swiftly to uphold due process, protect party members, and restore confidence in the internal democracy of the APC,' the statement added.
