… Alleges NWC of imposition, ‘democratic coup’

Hundreds of women and youths, who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday protested against the National Working Committee’s (NWC) decision to overturn results of the party’s senatorial and House of Representatives primaries in Ondo State.

The protesters, who took to the streets of Akure, Ondo State capital, on Monday, barricaded the busy Oloko Junction along the Ilesa-Akure road.

The demonstrators, who were armed with placards of various inscriptions such as “Say no to fake appeal,” “We reject the Abuja result,” “Our votes must count,” and “NWC, you can’t impose on us,” frowned at the NWC’s purported interference in the state’s primary election outcomes.

In a letter dated June 29, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, and National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, forwarded what the party described as its “final position” on the affected constituencies after the reports of the primary election appeal committees were considered and approved.

The review produced major changes across the state, with the party replacing two of its three senatorial candidates and six House of Representatives candidates affected by the appeals.

For the Senate, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN) replaced Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti as the APC candidate for the Ondo Central Senatorial District, while Senator Olajide Ipinsagba emerged in place of Gbenga Elegbeleye for the Ondo North Senatorial District. The Ondo South Senatorial ticket remained unaffected, with Isaacs Kekemeke retaining his position.

The House of Representatives witnessed extensive substitutions, including Timehin Adelegbe replacing Kayode Adejana for the Owo/Ose Federal Constituency and Okunjimi Odimayo displacing Olumuyiwa Daramola for the Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constituency.

Other changes included Donald Ojogo replacing Akingboye Leke for the Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency and Festus Olarewaju Akingbaso displacing Rasaq Obe in the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency.

Also, Abiola Makinde lost the APC ticket for Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency to Michael Akintomide, while Oyerinmade Matthew was replaced by Festus Adefiranye for Ile Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency.

Addressing journalists at the protest ground, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Seun Osamaye, expressed the protesters’ displeasure with what she described as a “fake list” circulated by the party’s national leadership.

“The women of Ondo State, women who are members of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, have come out to express our displeasure with the fake list being circulated. We consider it fake because it does not reflect the mandate of the people,” Osamaye stated.

She maintained that the list does not reflect the votes counted across the 203 wards of Ondo State, insisting that party members know those they voted for and those who emerged as winners in the primaries.

“It is a peaceful protest. We say no to mago-mago appeals. We say no to fake appeals. We say no to corner-to-corner appeal. People’s votes should count. We voted massively for our candidates, and it should reflect in the list that has been pasted,” she added.

Osamaye called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, describing him as “a president for women” and “a man who listens, a man of fair judgement, integrity, fairness, and justice.”

An APC youth in the state, Bright Ojo, who warned against what he described as a “democratic coup” in the state, stated that “Today, history is about to be made in Ondo State, and the history is substantial.”

“Like the NADECO struggle, when the democratic process was about to be truncated in our country, some people rose to demand that democracy must not become one man’s show or one man’s business,” Bright stated.

He accused the national party chairman, Prof. Nentawe, of imposing candidates on the people of Ondo State, alleging that the northern extraction of the party leadership was undermining the democratic will of the people.

He said, “The truth is that the South-West is a peaceful region and a stronghold of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where he will get overwhelming support. We don’t know who our national party chairman is working for, whether he is working for the opposition, his brother Atiku Abubakar from the North, to defeat our candidate, the people’s president from the South.”

On her part, the APC Women Leader in Ondo State, Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, stated that “we are crying against injustice.” We are crying against one man dictating the fate of Ondo State. We women are crying against one man changing the future of Ondo State. That is why we are out here,” Iji-Ayeola declared.

“Ordinarily, immediately after the election, the results should have been announced. But this time around, we have waited for almost a month for the results of our candidates. Then, on Friday, surprisingly, people who were not even part of the election, people who did not contest, had their names announced.

“The next action is that we will go on a rampage. I promise you, Ondo State is going to be on fire if the results are not released. We are going to come out and show them that what happened back then will not repeat itself.”