Oyo APC members stage protest over alleged imposition of candidates
By Adejayan Gbenga
Supporters of former Minister of Power, Chief Bayo Adelabu, alongside loyalists of Oluyole Federal Constituency aspirant, Dr. Gbolagade Abiodun, on Tuesday staged a protest at the Oyo State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Ibadan, rejecting what they described as the imposition of candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The protesters, who gathered at the party secretariat along the Molete–Oke Ado Road, alleged that the APC leadership ignored the outcome of the primary election by declaring incumbent lawmaker Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe the winner despite their claim that Abiodun secured the highest number of votes.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the demonstrators demanded that the party uphold internal democracy by allowing candidates to emerge through what they described as a transparent and credible primary process rather than through alleged imposition.
Addressing the gathering, APC leaders from Oluyole Federal Constituency insisted that party members overwhelmingly voted for Abiodun and expressed surprise over the announcement of Akande-Sadipe as the party’s candidate. They maintained that the declared result did not reflect the votes cast during the exercise.
“We all came out and voted massively for Hon. Gbolagade, but later we heard that Sadipe, who came third or fourth, was announced as the winner,” one of the protesters alleged. The demonstrators therefore called on the party leadership to reverse the decision and recognise Abiodun as the rightful winner of the primary.
The protesters also questioned the authenticity of the announced results, insisting that the exercise did not reflect the wishes of party members. They described the demonstration as a peaceful effort to register their dissatisfaction with the outcome and urged the leadership to protect the integrity of the party’s internal electoral process.
They further praised Abiodun as a grassroots politician and philanthropist, saying he had touched many lives through community development initiatives despite not holding any elective office or government appointment. According to them, his popularity among party members was evident during the primary election.
Responding, Oyo State APC Chairman, Otunba Moses Alake Adeyemo, said he had listened to the grievances of the protesters and acknowledged hearing about Abiodun’s contributions before meeting him personally. He assured them that the party leadership would take steps to address the complaints, resolve the dispute peacefully, and preserve unity within the APC.
