Fresh controversy has trailed the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly primaries in Ondo State after hundreds of women and youth supporters took to the streets of Akure on Monday to protest the alleged replacement of candidates who reportedly won the party's direct primaries.
The demonstrators converged on the busy Roadblock section of the Ilesa-Akure-Owo Expressway, disrupting vehicular movement for hours as they called on the APC national leadership to reverse what they described as an injustice and restore the original outcome of the primaries.
Displaying placards bearing messages such as "No to Abuja Result," "Let Our Votes Count," "We No Go Gree," and "APC National, Do the Right Thing," the protesters alleged that the candidates announced after the party's appeal process did not reflect the choices made by members during the primary election.
The protest followed reports that major changes were made to the APC's National Assembly candidates in Ondo State after the review of the primaries. According to the reports, two of the three senatorial tickets and all six House of Representatives tickets were allegedly altered.
Among the reported changes were the emergence of Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN) in Ondo Central and Senator Olajide Ipinsagba in Ondo North, replacing Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti and Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye respectively. The Ondo South Senatorial ticket, reportedly won by Hon. Isaac Kekemeke, was said to have remained unchanged.
Similar changes were also reported across the state's six House of Representatives constituencies, with new names emerging for Ilaje/Ese Odo, Idanre/Ifedore, Owo/Ose, Okitipupa/Irele, Ondo East/Ondo West and Ile Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo federal constituencies.
Addressing the protesters, Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Seun Osamaye, insisted that the list circulating online did not reflect the mandate freely given by party members during the direct primaries.
She said women across the state's 203 wards actively participated in the exercise and expressed disappointment over what she described as an attempt to disregard their votes.
"We know those we voted for and those who won the elections. What is being circulated does not reflect the people's mandate. We reject what we consider a fake appeal process and insist that our votes must count," she said.
Osamaye appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and ensure fairness, expressing confidence that the President would protect the integrity of the party's internal democratic process.
Also speaking, the APC Women Leader in Ondo State, Princess Oluwayemisi Iji-Ayeola, questioned the delay in releasing the primary election results, alleging that candidates who did not participate in the exercise eventually appeared on the party's list.
She warned that party members would continue to resist any move to overturn the outcome of the primaries.
A youth leader of the party, Ojo Bright, described the reported substitutions as a threat to internal democracy, alleging that the development amounted to an attempt to impose candidates on party members.
He urged the APC leadership to respect the outcome of the primaries, warning that failure to address the grievances could affect party unity ahead of future elections.
As of the time of filing this report, the APC national leadership had yet to issue an official statement responding to the allegations surrounding the reported candidate substitutions in Ondo State.