Tension heightened on Thursday at the Oyo State secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan as aggrieved party members staged a protest against alleged moves to impose candidates ahead of the party’s forthcoming primaries for the 2027 general elections.The protesters, who gathered at the party’s state secretariat, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, accused some leaders within the APC structure of allegedly sidelining internal democratic processes through attempts to foist preferred aspirants on members across various elective positions.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Say No to Imposition,” “Primary is the Way,” “Direct Primary is the Answer,” and “We Want Direct Primary at Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly Levels,” the demonstrators called for the adoption of direct primaries for all elective offices.
The protest was led by Ajibola Akeem from Egbeda Local Government Area and Biodun Adeoye from Ibadan South-East Local Government Area.
The aggrieved members argued that the repeated use of indirect primaries and consensus arrangements had continued to generate disaffection, distrust and internal crises within the party, warning that any attempt to repeat such methods could further weaken the APC ahead of future elections in the state.
According to the protesters, allowing all registered party members to participate directly in the selection of candidates remains the most credible and transparent approach capable of strengthening internal democracy and reducing post-primary grievances.
Some of the demonstrators maintained that they were not protesting against the party leadership but were demanding fairness, openness and equal opportunities for all aspirants contesting various positions.
They also appealed to the national leadership of the APC and President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure that credible democratic procedures are followed in the conduct of the party primaries.
Speaking during the protest, one of the leaders of the demonstration said the party must avoid actions capable of creating fresh divisions within its ranks.
“We are loyal party members and we want the APC to remain strong in Oyo State. But the leadership must allow members to decide through direct primaries instead of imposing candidates through backdoor arrangements,” he said.
The protesters warned that continued disregard for the wishes of grassroots members could lead to voter apathy, internal rebellion and possible defections ahead of the 2027 elections.
Security personnel were deployed around the party secretariat to maintain order as the protest continued peacefully for several hours.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the party had yet to issue any formal response to the demands of the protesters.
