As the All Progressives Congress prepares to hold its primaries on Friday, some National and State Assembly aspirants in Ondo State have raised concerns about a possible plot to disrupt the exercise.
The aspirants, who come from across the 203 wards in the state and are contesting tickets for the 2027 National and State Assembly elections, voiced their fears through a representative in Akure.
A House of Representatives aspirant, Jimi Adekanle, claimed that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had allegedly backed certain candidates without consulting other aspirants, which he described as unfair and undemocratic. He also warned that there were plans to use violence to influence the outcome in favour of those preferred candidates.
He said, “Reports have it that the thugs were instructed to violently attack any aspirants outside his (the governor’s) list and their supporters at the venues of the scheduled primaries, assuring them that the attacks would be carried out under the cover of personnel from the Nigerian Army, State Security Service, police, and NSCDC.
“We further gathered that another meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, April 14, 2026, for financial mobilisation and logistical coordination of the planned attacks. This is an ominous development and certainly a threat to participatory democracy.
In response, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, dismissed the allegations, insisting they were false and that the governor had no involvement in any form of violence.
He stated, “It is not true. The governor can never be involved in such an act. As the party leader in the state, he has been making efforts to ensure a hitch-free and credible primary, not to sponsor violence.
He added, “Governor Aiyedatiwa is committed to maintaining orderliness throughout the exercise in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
“These primaries represent another important democratic process for our great party, and we want to urge all aspirants, party leaders, and supporters to ensure the exercise remains hitch-free, transparent, and devoid of violence or rancour before, during, and after the polls.”