Youth protest in Ibadan as APC fails to field candidate for bye-election

By Adejayan Gbenga –

Youth stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State staged a peaceful protest on Friday at the party’s secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, over the party’s failure to produce a candidate for the forthcoming bye-election in the state.

The protest comes ahead of the August 16, 2025, bye-election for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency, which was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the death of Hon. Musiliudeen Akinremi on July 10, 2024, in Abuja.

Tensions within the party escalated after the APC primary held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, was disrupted by violence. Nine aspirants reportedly boycotted the exercise, alleging widespread irregularities and fraud. They maintained that no credible election took place, contradicting reports that a consensus candidate had emerged.

During Friday’s protest, the aggrieved youths called on President Bola Tinubu and other national leaders of the APC to urgently intervene in the matter. They expressed fears that the internal crisis could cost the party its stronghold in the constituency if not addressed promptly.

The protesters carried placards with messages demanding justice and transparency, insisting that the process be revisited to reflect the true will of party members.

They also criticized the state party leadership for what they described as poor handling of the primaries, urging immediate steps to restore internal democracy and unity within the party.

The youths further warned that failure to present a credible candidate could hand an easy victory to the opposition parties, thereby weakening the APC’s influence in the constituency.

They reiterated their commitment to the party but demanded that their concerns be addressed swiftly to prevent voter apathy and disillusionment ahead of the bye-election.