The 33 chairmanship and 351 councillorship candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Oyo State have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Ibadan to prevent the party from nullifying the primaries that produced them. The suit, which names the APM, its National Chairman, the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants, seeks to protect the outcome of the August 3, 2026, primaries.
Background of the Legal Action
The candidates emerged from primaries held across the state on August 3, 2026, which were monitored by OYSIEC, and their results were formally submitted to the commission. According to a statement sent to Legit.ng, the lawsuit followed reports that the APM National Chairman was seeking to nullify those primaries and organise fresh ones.
The dispute stems from a factional split within the party, with candidates backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde clashing with a separate set of candidates supported by prominent APM chieftain Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan. This created a contest between two camps within the same party, prompting the legal action.
Questions Before the Court
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine three central issues. First, whether OYSIEC has the legal authority to accept or recognise more than one candidate nominated by the APM for the same local government or ward position, given that the commission had already supervised the August 3 exercise. Second, whether OYSIEC can legally monitor a second APM primary for positions already covered by the earlier exercise. Third, whether individuals whose names were not in the party's membership register submitted to INEC within the period prescribed by law are eligible to participate in any APM primary.
The candidates are seeking declarations and orders as set out in their Originating Summons to prevent a parallel primary process from displacing them ahead of the Oyo State local government elections.
Governor Makinde's Message to Candidates
In a related development, Governor Seyi Makinde, who cannot run for a third term, has called out governorship candidates attacking him on the campaign trail. He urged them to direct their criticism at a named opponent instead. He also advised Oyo voters to demand concrete plans from candidates before deciding who to support in 2027.
