Gunmen disrupt APC Senate primary in Ondo, shoot at Senator’s vehicle

Fresh controversy has engulfed the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the disruption of the party’s House of Representatives and senatorial primary election processes, deepening internal tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The crisis intensified after a group identified as “Ondo State APC Concern” petitioned the party’s national leadership, accusing powerful interests within the state of hijacking the primaries, manipulating results, and using violence to disrupt the democratic process.

In the petition addressed to the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, the group condemned what it described as “kangaroo primaries” and called for urgent intervention to restore credibility to the exercise.

The petition alleged that although primaries were conducted across nine federal constituencies in Ondo State, only results for Akure South/Akure North, Okitipupa/Irele, and Ondo East/Ondo West were announced, with party members claiming that those declared winners were not the actual victors.

The aggrieved members accused Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, of failing to ensure a transparent process, alleging that the declarations violated APC guidelines and bypassed due collation procedures.

According to the petitioners, results for six other constituencies — Akoko North East/North West, Akoko South East/South West, Owo/Ose, Idanre/Ifedore, Ilaje/Ese-Odo, and Odigbo/Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo — remained pending after the collation process was disrupted.

They claimed members of the National Assembly Election Committee led by Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi were forced to flee the APC secretariat in Akure after political thugs allegedly invaded the venue on Sunday evening.

The group alleged that the disruption was triggered by a disqualified aspirant from Idanre who stormed the venue with supporters, forcing committee members, journalists, and party officials to abandon the exercise despite the presence of security operatives.

The petition further alleged that the chaos followed a phone call purportedly made by a serving state commissioner instructing party officials to halt the announcement of results until disputes in the Owo/Ose and Idanre/Ifedore constituencies were resolved.

The latest development comes amid growing unease within the Ondo APC over allegations of candidate imposition and internal power struggles linked to the 2027 elections.

In recent weeks, several party stakeholders and support groups have publicly warned that internal disagreements and perceived attempts to impose candidates could destabilise the party ahead of the polls.

A chieftain of the party, popularly known as Adu Cubana, had earlier warned that unresolved grievances and alleged exclusion of stakeholders could cost the APC politically in Ondo State, according to Sunshine Truth.

The governor has repeatedly denied allegations of marginalisation and imposition, insisting that party supremacy and consensus would guide the emergence of candidates.

At separate APC stakeholders’ meetings, Aiyedatiwa also cautioned members against “do-or-die politics” and internal rancour, warning that infighting could weaken the party ahead of the elections.

However, tensions escalated further after violence reportedly broke out during one of the APC senatorial primaries in the state.

According to reports, gunshots disrupted proceedings at a senatorial primary venue, forcing delegates and party officials to scamper for safety as rival camps clashed over the conduct of the exercise.

The incidents have heightened concerns over the stability of the APC in Ondo State, especially as the party seeks to consolidate the political dominance it secured after Aiyedatiwa’s victory in the 2024 governorship election.

The petitioners argued that the interrupted collation process violated the APC’s established procedures, which require results to move through ward, local government, and constituency collation centres before final submission to the party’s national headquarters.

They urged the APC national leadership to reject the disputed process, reconvene the election committee under tighter security, and investigate alleged political interference and the use of thugs to influence the outcome.

“The APC cannot afford to reward impunity and violence with political advantage,” the group stated, warning that allowing the disputed process to stand could damage the party’s credibility ahead of the 2027 elections.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Ondo State Government nor the APC state leadership had formally responded to the latest allegations surrounding the primaries.