Five governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State have rejected the outcome of the party’s governorship primary held on May 20, 2026, describing the exercise as flawed, chaotic and lacking in credibility.
In a communiqué jointly signed by the aggrieved aspirants, the contenders condemned the conduct of the primary, alleging widespread irregularities, intimidation of delegates, manipulation of the process and logistical failures across the state.
The communiqué was signed by former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Rauf Aderemi Olaniyan; Dr. Ololade Usman Bakare; Barrister Akeem Agbaje; Engr. Hakeem Oyedele Alao; and Prince Musbau Asatola Asanike.
The aspirants stated that the exercise failed to meet democratic standards expected of the ruling party, warned that the outcome could threaten the unity and electoral chances of the APC in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
According to them, reports from across the 33 local government areas indicated that many delegates were unable to vote freely, while some accredited aspirants were allegedly omitted from result sheets in certain centres.
The group further alleged that non-party members, hoodlums and thugs participated in the exercise, while voting procedures varied from one location to another, ranging from open queue systems to affirmation methods.
They also criticised the absence of clear guidelines before the commencement of the primary, accusing officials of failing to properly communicate accreditation procedures and collation processes to aspirants and party agents.
The aspirants said confusion and poor logistics, including late arrival of materials and inadequate polling centres, marred the entire process and created what they described as “deliberate disorganisation.”
Despite rejecting the outcome of the exercise, the governorship hopefuls reiterated their preference for a consensus arrangement, insisting it remained the best option for producing a generally acceptable candidate capable of returning the APC to power in Oyo State in 2027.
They appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene urgently to prevent a repeat of the internal crisis that affected the party during the 2023 governorship election in the state.
While affirming their loyalty to the APC, the aspirants pledged to remain calm and law-abiding, stressing that they would continue to pursue justice through due process and dialogue within the party.
