Hundreds of women and youths of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State on Monday took to the streets of Akure to protest what they described as a manipulated list of candidates for the House of Representatives elections.
The demonstrators, who marched along Oyemekun Road and the Akure-Ilesa Expressway, alleged that the list released by the party’s National Secretariat did not reflect the outcome of the House of Representatives direct primaries conducted last month.
The protest caused significant traffic disruption and briefly halted the convoy of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as protesters blocked major roads while chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards demanding that the party respect the outcome of the primaries.
Some of the placards carried inscriptions including, “We don’t want imposition in Ondo APC,” “Let our votes count,” “We say no to imposition,” and “APC National should do the right thing.”
Addressing the protesters, the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Seun Osamaye, described the list circulating online as fake, insisting that it did not represent the choices made by party members across the state’s 203 wards.
“We, the women of Ondo State who are members of the APC, have come out to express our displeasure with the fake list being circulated. We consider it fake because it does not reflect the mandate of the people,” she said.
She maintained that party members knew those who emerged victorious during the primaries and questioned why the published list allegedly differed from the results recorded at the ward level.
“It is a peaceful protest. We say no to ‘mago-mago’ appeal. We say no to fake appeal. We say no to corner-corner appeal. People’s votes should count. We voted massively for our candidates, and it should reflect in the list that has been pasted,” Osamaye added.
The commissioner also appealed to the party leadership to uphold fairness and transparency, expressing confidence that President Bola Tinubu would support a process that reflects the will of party members.
“We know President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a president for women. We know he is a man who listens, a man of fair judgment, integrity, fairness and justice. What we are saying is: let the people’s votes matter; let our votes count,” she stated.
Also speaking, APC youth leader Mr. Bright Ojo alleged that the published list contained the names of aspirants who were defeated during the primaries, describing the situation as an attempt to undermine internal democracy.
“What you are seeing is a protest against a democratic coup in Ondo State. The people voted en masse during the direct primary, and the results reflected their wishes and mandate,” Ojo said.
He further alleged that some names had been altered after the primary election and urged the party’s national leadership to respect the outcome of the exercise.
“If they attempt to disrupt Nigeria’s peace by inciting chaos and crisis through our party in Ondo State, let it be on record that we, the people, will resist,” he added.
