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A House of Representatives aspirant for the Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Akinyomi, has rejected the outcome of the party’s primary election, describing the exercise as a “sham” and calling for its cancellation.
Akinyomi alleged that the May 16, 2026 direct primary was manipulated by influential figures within the party to favour a preferred candidate, despite the declaration of Mr. Akingboye David as the winner with 9,284 votes.
Speaking with journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday, the aggrieved aspirant claimed that no credible electoral process took place and urged the APC national leadership to order a fresh primary in line with democratic principles and the Electoral Act.
According to him, the exercise was marred by confusion, with no officially designated venue and multiple groups gathering at different locations while claiming the primary was underway.
Akinyomi further alleged that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and recognised APC officials from Abuja and Akure were absent from the purported collation centre where some aspirants and supporters had assembled.
He also expressed frustration over what he described as the absence of the party’s appeal committee after the exercise, claiming efforts to submit complaints were unsuccessful.
“I expected to witness a free and fair election where the people would decide who would represent them, but what I saw was nothing to write home about. There were no elections,” he said.
“In their quest to force the so-called anointed aspirant on everybody, they hijacked the whole process. The only way they could ensure the anointed aspirant won was to manipulate the process.”
The aspirant disclosed that dissatisfied contestants had submitted a petition to the APC National Working Committee (NWC), demanding the cancellation of the primary and the conduct of a fresh election.
“I’m not asking for anyone to be declared winner because there was no election. My demand is simple: cancel the exercise and conduct a proper election according to laid-down electoral guidelines,” he stated.
However, the APC in Ondo State dismissed the allegations and defended the integrity of the primary process.
The party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, said the exercise was conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, stressing that the state chapter only provided administrative and logistical support.
“The Ondo State chapter merely provided the necessary administrative and logistical support required for the smooth conduct of the exercise, as is the practice across the federation,” Otaloro said.
“It is inaccurate and unfair to allege that the state leadership hijacked a process over which it had no constitutional mandate to conduct, supervise or declare results.”
He added that the outcomes of the primaries had already been reviewed and validated by the party’s national leadership and noted that established channels, including appeals and petitions, remain available for aggrieved aspirants seeking redress.
Otaloro maintained that the APC remains united and expressed confidence that all legitimate concerns would be addressed through the party’s internal mechanisms.
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