Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress, APC in oyo state have stormed the party secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, protesting alleged plans to impose candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The protest, which drew members from several local governments, disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting convened for House of Representatives and House of Assembly aspirants as aggrieved party loyalists openly rejected what they described as a “guided primary” allegedly orchestrated by party leaders.
The protesters particularly expressed strong opposition to the reported third-term ambition of Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe in the Oluyole Federal Constituency, insisting that any attempt to hand her the party ticket would trigger a major political crisis capable of damaging the APC’s chances in the constituency.
Chanting anti-imposition slogans, the protesters maintained that Oluyole Federal Constituency was blessed with competent politicians and should not be turned into a “personal estate.”
According to them, “It is time for fresh hands to emerge. Democracy should not be reduced to a private arrangement where only a few individuals continue to dominate elective positions.”
The aggrieved members further accused some serving lawmakers of poor grassroots impact despite years in office, alleging that the constituency had witnessed little meaningful development.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, one of the House of Representatives aspirants, Hon. Gbolagade Abiodun, alleged that the state APC leadership informed aspirants that the National Chairman had already endorsed Senator Sarafadeen Alli as the preferred governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Abiodun claimed that the state chairman explained that the forthcoming primary election would not follow the conventional process but would instead be a “guided primary,” with a prepared list of approved party members expected to participate.
According to him, the announcement immediately sparked outrage among aspirants across the 33 local governments.
He said the aspirants unanimously rejected the arrangement, insisting that Oyo APC had suffered repeated internal crises due to candidate imposition in previous elections.
“Oyo State has been dehumanized politically since 2019 because of imposition. In 2011 and 2015, we conducted normal primaries, but in 2019 and 2023 candidates were imposed on party members. We cannot continue like this in 2027,” he said.
Abiodun warned that any attempt to impose unpopular candidates could weaken the APC ahead of the next election and hand advantage to opposition parties.
He also alleged that several loyal party members had already defected to other political platforms due to dissatisfaction within the APC.
The aspirant argued that the party should embrace direct primaries to ensure transparency and fairness, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself emerged through a competitive primary process.
“When they wanted to impose candidates against Asiwaju, he insisted on direct primaries. So why should anyone now impose candidates on us?” he queried.
The protesters maintained that they were not against consensus arrangements if they genuinely reflected the wishes of party members, but insisted that any attempt to sideline aspirants and grassroots stakeholders would be resisted.
Party leaders at the meeting reportedly urged members to remain calm and united as preparations intensify for the 2027 elections, stressing the need to rebuild the APC’s structure and strengthen grassroots mobilization across Oyo State.
The meeting, held at the APC Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, was part of broader consultations aimed at preparing the party for the forthcoming election cycle and fostering internal unity among aspirants and stakeholders.
