NB247
Hostilities are brewing ahead of the forthcoming primaries of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State as aspirants have drawn the lines of conflict with the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The contention is with regards to their exclusion from the list of aspirants enjoying the favour of the governor ahead of the exercise.
Following the development, they have alleged that the state governor was planning to unleash violence against them for rejecting his controversial consensus list for the upcoming primary elections.
The aspirants under the aegis of Progressive Aspirants Forum made the allegation while speaking to journalists in Akure on Thursday.
They also alleged that political thugs loyal to the state government were already being mustered to attack aspirants who are not in a league with the state governor.
The group warned that unless the national leadership of the APC and security agencies swiftly intervened, the state could witness a recurrence of the violent political crises that marred the 1965 and 1983 elections in the old Western Region.
The governor was said to have compiled a list of aspirants supposedly a product of a consensus and presented it to the APC national Secretariat for the 2027 election.
The national Secretariat had distanced itself from the list, calling on the state chapter to hold direct primaries where a consensus was not possible.
One of the aspirants, Olujimi Adekanle, confirmed the hostilities of the governor against the aspirants for disagreeing with his consensus list,
We further gathered that another meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, 14 April 2026, for financial mobilization and logistical coordination of the planned attacks,” he said.
“We further gathered that another meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, 14 April 2026, for financial mobilization and logistical coordination of the planned attacks,” he said.
“The violence witnessed before and during the February State Congress would pale in comparison to what is being planned. This could severely damage the party’s unity, disrupt public peace and national stability, and cast doubt on the peaceful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
“We therefore respectfully call on the APC leadership, director-general of SSS, inspector-general of police, and chief of army staff to take immediate steps to investigate these allegations thoroughly, provide adequate security for all aspirants and party members during the primary elections, and ensure that the primaries are conducted freely, fairly, and peacefully in line with democratic principles, the constitution of the party, and the Electoral Act 2026.”
Another aspirant for the Akure South/Akure North federal constituency, Olu Akinola, told journalists that approximately 80 percent of National Assembly aspirants in the state had been shut out of the governor’s arrangement.
Mr Akinola noted that security agencies had already tagged Ondo State, along with Kwara and Zamfara states, as volatile states to be watched during the primaries.
“In Akure North and South Federal Constituencies alone, 11 of us obtained forms. In this economy, over N110 million was spent on forms alone. Every aspirant running for federal constituency has spent close to N20 million,” said Mr Akinola said.
He disclosed that Aiyedatiwa had not reached out to any of the excluded aspirants for consultation, stating that “Up till now, I can tell you for free that Mr. Governor has not reached out to anybody. We are all one family. Most of us standing here today worked for Mr. Governor to become governor of this state. I worked for him.
The governor has denied the allegations, saying that he was in alignment with the decision of the national Secretariat to hold direct primaries where there are no consensus on the choice of candidates.
A statement by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, on Thursday, noted that Governor Aiyedatiwa has expressed support for the adoption of direct primaries by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in cases where consensus candidates fail to emerge ahead of the party’s forthcoming primaries.
The governor said the position was in line with the directive of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC for the conduct of the primaries scheduled for May 15, 18 and 20 for the House of Representatives, House of Assembly and Senate, respectively.
The governor urged party members, aspirants and supporters to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly during the exercise.
The governor stressed that Ondo State must continue to serve as a model of political maturity and democratic excellence through the conduct of party members before, during and after the primaries.
He added that the state chapter of the APC was committed to adhering strictly to the party’s national leadership’s guidelines and internal democratic principles.
“The Ondo State government is fully aligned with the directive of the National Working Committee of the APC that direct primaries should be adopted in situations where there is no agreed consensus candidate,” the statement read.
“The state chapter of the party remains committed to abiding by the guidelines and internal democratic principles laid down by the national leadership of the APC.
”Ondo State must continue to remain a model of political maturity and democratic excellence through the conduct of party members before, during and after the primaries.”
The governor appealed to aspirants and stakeholders to place the interest of the party and the state above personal ambition, while urging security agencies, electoral officials and party members to cooperate fully to ensure a credible and hitch-free exercise across the state.