Protests Erupt In Ondo APC Over Controversial Candidates List

A fresh wave of unrest has hit the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, as aggrieved members staged a protest in Akure on Tuesday over the party’s revised list of candidates.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The demonstrators marched through major streets in the state capital carrying placards with various messages, expressing their dissatisfaction with the changes made to the list of candidates for the forthcoming elections.

The protest followed the decision of the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) to overturn the outcomes of several Senate and House of Representatives primary elections in Ondo State. The review reportedly resulted in eight candidates losing their tickets, with new nominees replacing them.

According to the party, the revised list was approved after the NWC considered reports submitted by its Primary Election Appeal Committees and aligned its decisions with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

However, supporters of the affected aspirants rejected the revised list, insisting that it does not reflect the outcome of the direct primaries conducted across the state’s 203 wards.

The protesters displayed placards bearing inscriptions such as “Ondo State Is on Fire,” “Ondo State Says No to Abuja Result,” “No to Corner-Corner Appeal,” “We No Go Gree,” and “Let Our Votes Count.”

Addressing the protesters, the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Seun Osamaye, described the revised list as fraudulent, arguing that it failed to represent the choices made by party members during the direct primary elections.

She maintained that APC members across the state were aware of those who emerged victorious in the primaries and questioned why the names on the updated list differed from those produced during the voting process.

Osamaye appealed to Bola Tinubu to intervene, expressing confidence that he would uphold fairness, justice and democratic values.

Also speaking, APC youth leader Bright Ojo described the changes as a “democratic coup” against party members in Ondo State.

According to him, the revised list allegedly included the names of aspirants who were defeated during the primaries, raising concerns about the role played by the party’s national leadership in altering the results.