The All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency By-election has been rocked by controversy, with nine aspirants rejecting the outcome of the exercise.
The primary, which was held over the weekend, was marred by allegations of manipulation, violence, and open confrontation among aspirants and party leaders.
One of the aspirants, Idris Lapade, a former chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, was allegedly assaulted by another aspirant during the primary.
Lapade had confronted party agents over the alleged doctoring of delegates’ lists when the fracas ensued.
An eyewitness described the scene: “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.”
About nine aggrieved aspirants have accused a serving public office holder of hijacking 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 aspirants 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.
“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,” one of them said.
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 has remained factionalized, and the crisis over the Ibadan North primary has exposed a deeper malaise within the party’s ranks.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially announced August 16, 2025, for the by-election.
Leaders of the party have warned that unless the APC resolves its internal crisis and rebuilds trust among its rank and file, it may hand victory on a platter to the ruling PDP.
Security operatives have beefed up surveillance around the Ibadan North constituency to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
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.
