By Emmanuel Aderosoye Fadola

I aspired to represent the good people of Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency in the forthcoming 11th National Assembly. To that end, I worked diligently and campaigned vigorously for the nomination of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, as the saying goes, man proposes, but God disposes. At a crucial point in the journey, prevailing realities compelled me to step down for the incumbent, Hon. Festus Akingbaso. My decision was guided solely by the overriding interest of our party and the people of our constituency.

We all witnessed the authoritarian attempt by an individual who sought to play God by imposing candidates on party members across the state. We also witnessed the blatant violation of established rules and democratic principles during the conduct of our party primaries. Yet, despite these glaring irregularities, some aspirants were declared winners, a development that desecrated the very ideals of democracy, fairness, and decency.

Dissatisfied with the process, aggrieved aspirants submitted petitions to the APC Primary Elections Appeal Committee. After carefully reviewing the compelling evidence, the committee recommended the reversal of the manipulated outcomes that had earlier been announced. Convinced by the weight of the evidence, the National Working Committee (NWC) upheld the recommendations and ensured that justice was done.

The lesson is clear: no individual has a monopoly of authority within our great party.

In the interest of the APC, we should all accept the decision of the National Working Committee. This is not the first time the national leadership of our party has intervened to resolve nomination disputes in Ondo State.

During the 2024 governorship primary election, the exercise was conducted in a manner many party members considered deeply unsatisfactory. Figures were manipulated by those appointed to supervise the exercise, leading to the declaration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner. This remains a matter of public knowledge.

In an apparent attempt to create the impression that the governorship primary was transparent and credible, the exercise in Ifedore Local Government Area was cancelled by the primary election committee on grounds of violence. Another exercise was reportedly conducted. The truth, however, is that there was no violence anywhere in Ifedore on the day of the primary.

The National Working Committee eventually stepped in and appealed to all aggrieved aspirants to sheathe their swords in the interest of the party. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also intervened. Their intervention was not necessarily because they believed the nomination process had been free and fair, but because preserving the unity of the APC was paramount.

As a result, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim withdrew the court case he had instituted against the outcome of the primary. That singular action preserved Governor Aiyedatiwa’s candidature and helped avert what could have been an electoral setback for our party.

In the recent National Assembly primary election, Hon. Festus Akingbaso clearly enjoyed the overwhelming support of the people of Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency. This was evident in the videos and photographs showing the large number of party members who queued behind his posters across the wards. His chances were further strengthened by my decision to step down in his favour.

It is, therefore, difficult to comprehend how someone who had no agents at any of the voting centres could eventually be declared the winner of the nomination exercise. It must also be noted that this purported winner had, less than 24 hours before the primary, publicly stepped down for another aspirant who was later disqualified.

As party members, we have consistently accepted the interventions and decisions of the national leadership of the APC whenever disputes have arisen from primary elections in Ondo State. I see no reason why the latest intervention and decision of the National Working Committee should be treated differently.

Let us, therefore, sheathe our swords, embrace reconciliation, and work together in unity. Doing so will strengthen our party and significantly improve our chances in the forthcoming general elections.

A few days ago, Governor Aiyedatiwa met with members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) and other APC leaders. One cannot help but wish that such a meeting had taken place before the primary elections. Had there been sincere and extensive consultations with stakeholders, had the path of exclusion not been taken, and had every critical party leader been carried along, the intervention of the National Working Committee might not have been necessary.

Every political experience offers valuable lessons. When a leader fails to unite and effectively manage his own political family through inclusive leadership, external intervention inevitably becomes necessary.

May we all learn from this and move forward together for the progress of our great party.

Prince Emmanuel Aderosoye Fadola (FCPA), an APC chieftain in Idanre/Ifedore, writes from Ilara Mokin, Ondo State.