Ondo APC Members Stage Protest Over Revised Candidate List
A fresh crisis erupted in the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday as aggrieved party members converged in Akure to protest the party’s revised Senate and House of Representatives candidate list.
The demonstration followed a decision by the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) to overturn the results of several primary elections across the state. Eight aspirants who had won the direct primaries were stripped of their tickets, and new nominees were installed in their places.
Party Leadership Cites Electoral Act and INEC Guidelines
The NWC said it reviewed reports from its Primary Election Appeal Committees and approved the new list in accordance with the Electoral Act and the guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, loyalists of the affected candidates rejected the adjustments, insisting that the revised list does not represent the genuine outcome of the direct primaries held in Ondo’s 203 wards.
Protesters Voice Their Demands
Carrying placards with slogans such as “Ondo State Is on Fire,” “Ondo State Says No to Abuja Result,” and “Let Our Votes Count,” the protesters declared the circulated list fake.
Speaking on their behalf, Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Seun Osamaye, said:
“We, the women of Ondo State who are members of the APC, have come out to express our displeasure with the fake list being circulated. We consider it fake because it does not reflect the mandate of the people.”
Osamaye added that party members are aware of who emerged from the direct primaries and questioned why the revised list bears different names. She appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, expressing confidence in his commitment to fairness, justice, and democratic principles.
Youth Leader Calls the Move a “Democratic Coup”
Youth leader Bright Ojo echoed the sentiment, describing the revised list as a “democratic coup” against APC members in Ondo State.
“What you are seeing is a protest against a democratic coup in Ondo State. The people voted en masse during the direct primary, and the results reflected the will and mandate of the people from the field,” Ojo stated.
He alleged that the new list includes aspirants who lost the primaries and questioned the role of the party’s national leadership in effecting the changes.
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