APC Members Protest Alleged Substitution in Ibadan South West/North West Reps Primary
Tension has continued to build within the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following protests by party members in Ward 12, Ibadan South West Local Government, over the alleged substitution of the name of Hon. Rotimi Ajanaku as the winner of the House of Representatives primary election conducted on Saturday, May 16.
The protesters, who gathered in large numbers, called on the national and state leadership of the APC to immediately recognize and officially announce Ajanaku as the party’s candidate for the Ibadan South West/North West Federal Constituency ahead of the forthcoming general election.
According to the aggrieved party members, Ajanaku emerged through what they described as a transparent and credible process and enjoys overwhelming support among party faithful across the constituency.
They alleged that despite being declared winner of the primary election, his name was later replaced in the list released after the exercise.
The demonstrators warned that any attempt to impose another candidate against the wishes of grassroots members could create division within the party and weaken its chances in the election.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Hon. Adepoju Popoola, a House of Assembly aspirant, appealed to APC leaders in Abuja and Oyo State to urgently intervene in the matter to avoid further discontent among party members.
Popoola stated that Ajanaku had earlier emerged as the party’s consensus candidate before going ahead to secure victory in the primary election conducted on Saturday.
He described the alleged substitution as unfair and capable of undermining internal democracy within the party.
He further noted that Ajanaku’s popularity and contributions to the constituency had endeared him to party members and residents alike.
“Hon. Rotimi Ajanaku is widely accepted by the people because of his consistency, accessibility, and impact on the constituency,” Popoola said.
“He was declared winner after the primary, only for another name to appear afterward. That is why we are calling on the party leadership to correct the situation.”
He added that party members were determined to prevent a repeat of mistakes made during previous elections, stressing that APC’s success in the constituency would depend largely on presenting a candidate with strong grassroots support.
“We are agitating because we do not want APC to lose in the elections. This is our opportunity to reclaim the constituency, and the wishes of party members must be respected,” he said.
Also speaking during the protest, Engr. Balogun Moyosoreoluwa urged the party leadership to carefully examine the complaints raised by members in Ward 12, which he described as one of the most politically influential wards in the country, with about 126 polling units, which is more than entire polling units in Bayelsa State.
According to him, the ward has historically played a major role in determining electoral outcomes in both state and federal elections, including governorship contests, and should not be ignored in critical party decisions.
The protesters carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Give Us Our Mandate Back,” “Rotimi Ajanaku Is Our Choice,” “No to Imposition in APC,” and “Respect the Will of Party Members.”
The demonstration, which remained peaceful, attracted the attention of residents and passersby as protesters insisted that their action was aimed at drawing the attention of party leaders to what they described as an injustice against the will of APC members in the constituency.
They called on the APC leadership to uphold fairness, transparency, and internal democracy by recognizing Ajanaku as the duly elected candidate, warning that failure to address the issue could affect party unity and mobilization efforts ahead of the general election.
