APC aspirant criticizes Ondo Reps primary, calls for new election

A House of Representatives aspirant for Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency in the All Progressives Congress, Monday Akinyomi, has criticized the outcome of the primary election held in the federal constituency.

In the APC direct primary on May 16, 2026, Mr Akingboye David won with 9,284 votes, beating other aspirants.

Speaking with our reporter on Sunday in Akure, Ondo State capital, Akinyomi claimed that the primary was taken over by APC leaders in the state to favor an “anointed candidate.”

Akinyomi called the APC House of Representatives primary election a sham. He insisted that a credible electoral process did not happen, even though a winner was announced. He urged the national leadership of the party to cancel the election and hold a new one.

He said there was confusion during the primary. There was no clear venue for the primary, and different groups gathered in separate places, all claiming the election was happening.

He also claimed that there were no officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or recognized APC officials from Abuja and Akure at the supposed collation center where some aspirants and supporters were gathered.

He added that after the election, the primary election appeal committee was not available to take complaints.

“I expected to see a free and fair election where the people would choose their representative, but what I witnessed was disappointing. There were no elections.

“In their attempt to push the so-called anointed aspirant on everyone, they took over the whole process. The only way they could ensure the anointed aspirant won was to manipulate the process,” he said.

Akinyomi revealed that angry aspirants had sent a petition to the APC National Working Committee, asking for the primary to be canceled and a fresh election to be conducted according to the Electoral Act and democratic principles.

He said, “We wrote a petition to the National Working Committee. We submitted our petition. I do not know how far it has gone, but we tried. They said there was an appeal committee in Ondo State. We tried to find them. We heard they were at the party secretariat. We went there to submit our petition to the appeal committee, but they were not there.

“I am not asking that anyone should be declared the winner because there were no elections. I am calling for cancellation and proper conduct of the election, as stated by the electoral reforms.

“That is my only demand. You cannot ask for someone to be declared winner when there was nothing to declare. What they announced was just something that never took place. A fresh election should be held.”

On the other hand, the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC in the state, Mr. Steve Otaloro, denied the claims. He said the primary process was free, fair, and transparent, and not influenced by the leadership.

“The Ondo State chapter only provided the needed administrative and logistical support for the smooth running of the exercise, as is common across the country.

“It is therefore incorrect and unfair to claim that the state leadership ‘hijacked’ a process that it had no constitutional right to conduct, supervise, or declare results.

“The outcome of the primaries held nationwide has been received, reviewed, and validated by the national leadership of the party. Where real complaints arose, the APC offered constitutional channels, including appeals and petitions, for aggrieved aspirants to seek redress.”

Otaloro insisted that the APC remains one united family. He also added that “we believe that all real concerns will be addressed through the right channels provided by the party.”