Ondo APC Aspirants Raise the Alarm Over Plan to Disrupt Primaries
AKURE – Barely 24 hours before the All Progressives Congress (APC) kicks off its primary elections, aggrieved National and State Assembly aspirants have accused the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of deploying thugs to violently uproot non-endorsed candidates from the process.
Speaking on behalf of a coalition of aspirants drawn from the 203 wards of the state, a House of Representatives hopeful, Jimi Adekanle, alleged that the governor had endorsed a list of preferred aspirants without consulting other contenders. Mr. Adekanle warned that intelligence reports indicated the thugs have been instructed to attack any aspirant not on the governor’s list, including their supporters, at the primary venues.
“We further gathered that another meeting has been scheduled for financial mobilisation and logistical coordination of the planned attacks,” Mr. Adekanle told journalists in Akure on Thursday. He claimed that the thugs intend to operate under the cover of personnel from the Nigerian Army, the State Security Service (SSS), the police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Denial from the Government
Reacting to the gravity of the allegations, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, dismissed the claims as baseless. Mr. Ajanaku insisted that the governor remains committed to a transparent exercise in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“It is not true. The governor can never be involved in such an act. He has been making efforts to ensure a hitch-free and credible primary, not to sponsor violence,” the commissioner stated.
Widespread Tension and Police Action
Beyond the aspirants’ grievances, an uneasy calm has enveloped communities such as Owo, Akure, Idanre, Irele, and Okitipupa. Residents reported an influx of unfamiliar faces suspected to be political thugs, raising fears of a repeat of the violence that marred the party’s recent ward congresses in the state. The previous congresses witnessed the invasion of the APC secretariat in Akure, the shooting of two members in Idanre, and a machete attack on a party chieftain in Owo.
In response to the growing security threat, the Ondo State Police Command has launched a show of force across the state. The Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, has deployed conventional police operatives, tactical teams, and intelligence units to maintain law and order during the three-day exercise.
The APC has scheduled its primaries to hold between May 15 and May 20, 2026.
