APC Crisis Deepens As Oyo Members Protest Over Oluyole Ticket

(APC supporters during the protest at the state party. Photo Credit: Punch News)

Members of the All Progressives Congress in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State have called on the state party leadership to affirm Abiodun Gbolagade as winner of the recent primary election for the Oluyole Federal Constituency.

Party members and stakeholders from the federal constituency made the appeal during a peaceful protest at the state party secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan South-West Local Government Area, on Tuesday.

Speaking during the protest, Gbolagade said he had been financing party activities in the local government for the past seven years, claiming that the primary election for Oluyole Federal Constituency was conducted successfully and that he was declared winner with over 2,000 votes, while the incumbent, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, polled 36 votes.

He urged the party leadership to strictly adhere to the results as announced, arguing that doing so would strengthen unity and improve the APC's chances in the 2027 general elections in the state.

Also speaking, a retired civil servant, Mr Awo Adeleke, insisted that Gbolagade had won the primary election and should be issued the party's ticket for the House of Representatives election.

Another protester, who did not want her name mentioned, said that for the past eight years, Sadipe had neglected party members, which was why they had pitched their tents with Gbolagade, who they believed could deliver victory for the party.

She said they were there to appeal to the leadership of the Oyo APC to strictly follow the outcome of the primary election, which declared Gbolagade the winner and not Sadipe.

Addressing the protesters, the Oyo APC Chairman, Moses Adeyemo, appealed to them to remain calm. Adeyemo, who described Gbolagade as a committed party member who had paid his dues to the APC over the years, assured the protesters that the party leadership would review their demands and take the necessary steps to maintain peace and fairness within the party.

An online news platform reports that the APC, on Monday, reiterated that the list of its candidates for the National Assembly seats in the 2027 general elections remained unchanged.

A statement issued by the party's Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, in Ibadan, the state capital, said the list emanated from the National Working Committee of the party, which processed the results generated from the primaries conducted in May this year.

He said the national secretariat of the APC had uploaded the names of its candidates for the three senatorial districts and 14 House of Representatives seats in Oyo State on the Independent National Electoral Commission portal as required by law, followed by the filing of the commission's nomination forms by the individual candidates at the party's national secretariat in Abuja.

Sadare said he was surprised that some aspirants who did not secure the desired party tickets were reportedly misleading the public with false claims through social media, even as their supporters worked to stir up crisis within the party.

He stressed that nothing had changed from what was made public the previous week, listing the names submitted to INEC as follows:

Senator Yunus Akintunde, Hon. Aderemi Oseni and Mrs Hannah Ogunesan as candidates for Oyo Central, Oyo South and Oyo North Senatorial Districts respectively, while the House of Representatives candidates are Hon. Akeem Adeyemi (Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West), Hon. Segun Odebunmi (Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere) and Hon. Tajudeen Abisodun Kareem (Atisbo/Saki East/Saki West).

Other candidates, according to Sadare, include Hon. Akin Alabi (Egbeda/Ona-Ara), Hon. Olafisoye Akinmoyede (Akinyele/Lagelu), Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo (Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West), Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe (Oluyole), Hon. Olamijuwon Alao-Akala (Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Oriire), Hon. Olatubosun Oladele (Irepo/Olorunsogo/Oorelope), Hon. Umar Farouk Alao (Ibadan North), Hon. Ibrahim Iyiola (Ibadan North-East/Ibadan South-East), Hon. Sarafa Olaoniye (Ibarapa Central/Ibarapa North), Hon. Saheed Adejare Yusuf (Kajola/Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa) and Hon. Yusuf Asimiyu Osuolale (Ibarapa East/Ido).