Nine aspirants have rejected the outcome of the primary conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to present a candidate for the by-election to fill the vacant seat of the Ibadan North Federal Constituency.
The APC primary in Ibadan, which was held on Sunday, suffered a setback over the reported manner the election was conducted.
The aggrieved aspirants submitted that the conduct of the primary was dotted with noticeable flaws as it was hijacked by vested interests.
The APC primary in Ibadan, held amidst tight security, was marred by allegations of manipulation, violence and open confrontation among aspirants and party leaders.
Tensions reached a boiling point when Idris Lapade, a former chairman of Ibadan North Local Government and one of the leading aspirants, was allegedly assaulted by another aspirant.
Eyewitnesses at the venue claimed that the altercation broke out after heated arguments over the credibility of the process. Lapade, it was learnt, had confronted party agents over the alleged doctoring of delegates’ lists when the fracas ensued.
“Lapade was alleged hit in the chest by a substance suspected to be a local charm. He went down on the floor, writhing in pain as sympathisers were seen milling around him. He was later evacuated from the venue and rushed to the hospital for treatment.
“It was a shameful sight. We expected a peaceful contest, but instead it turned into a battlefield. If our leaders can’t manage an internal primary, how can they govern?” one visibly angry delegate told Tribune Online.
Meanwhile, the majority of aspirants have pointed accusing fingers at a serving public office holder, whom they alleged had hijacked the process through his influence on the committee members sent from the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
“The entire process was a charade. The primary was neither transparent nor credible. How can a serving minister who only recently returned to the party dictate the outcome of an election in a constituency he doesn’t belong to?” one of the aggrieved aspirants asked rhetorically.
The crisis is the latest in a string of internal wranglings that have plagued the APC in Oyo State since it lost the governorship seat to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019. The party, which has remained factionalised between loyalists of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the 2023 gubernatorial candidate Senator Teslim Folarin, and now Minister Adelabu, has struggled to present a united front.
The crisis over the Ibadan North primary exposed a deeper malaise within the party’s ranks and could further weaken its chances in future elections if not urgently addressed.
Further investigation revealed that the aggrieved aspirants, shortly after the primaries, vowed to petition the national leadership of the party and seek redress according to the law, stating that they would not accept the “fraudulent and compromised” outcome.
The aspirants also accused members of the APC State Executive Committee of being complicit in the alleged manipulation, noting that the party structure in the state had become a tool in the hands of a few.
One of them said, “We are disappointed by the conduct of the primary election. The process was manipulated from the outset, and our party executives have shown that they are not interested in justice or fairness. We will not fold our arms and watch the party be dragged into ridicule.”
It would be recalled that similar allegations of hijack and manipulation had dogged the APC in the recent past, with lingering leadership tussle within the party, lack of cohesion and persistent accusations of favouritism and manipulation, which have continued to pose a major threat to the APC’s electoral fortunes in the state.
While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially announced 16th of August, 2025, for the by-election, leaders of the party warned that unless the APC resolves its internal crisis and rebuilds trust among its rank and file, it may once again hand victory on a platter to the ruling PDP.
Meanwhile, security operatives have beefed up surveillance around the Ibadan North constituency to forestall further breakdown of law and order, even as party elders reportedly move to broker peace among the warring factions.
As of press time, the fate of the disputed primary hangs in the balance, with indications that the National Working Committee (NWC) may consider a rerun or adopt a consensus candidate if the impasse persists.
