Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akoko South West Constituency I have called on the party’s national leadership to respect the outcome of its House of Assembly primary election, insisting that Hon. Akogun Olugbenga Omole remains the validly elected candidate and should not be replaced.
The stakeholders, comprising ward chairmen, councillors, supervisory councillors, party leaders and other key APC members, made their position known in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting held on Thursday.
They insisted that any attempt to replace Omole would undermine the party’s internal democratic process and disregard the wishes of party members who participated in the primary election.
According to the communiqué, the APC primary election was conducted across the constituency’s eight wards in line with the party’s guidelines and under the supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Omole reportedly polled 4,648 votes to defeat the incumbent lawmaker, who secured 921 votes.
The stakeholders reaffirmed their support for the outcome of the exercise, describing Omole as the authentic winner of the primary.
“We stand firmly by the outcome of the APC primary election held on May 20, 2026, and declare our total support for the mandate freely given to Hon. Akogun Olugbenga Omole by party members,” the communiqué stated.
They warned that replacing the winner of the primary with a defeated aspirant could erode confidence in the party’s democratic structures and alienate loyal members.
“To allow an individual who bypassed local party structures and lost a transparent election to usurp a democratic mandate would severely damage party morale, discourage loyal party faithful and weaken the APC’s electoral prospects in Ondo State,” the stakeholders added.
The communiqué further contrasted the level of engagement of the aspirants before the primary election, alleging that Omole consulted widely across the eight wards, while the defeated aspirant neither engaged party members at the grassroots nor participated in ward activities.
Speaking at the meeting, a former Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor and one of the House of Assembly aspirants who stepped down for Omole, Hon. Biola Balogun, said his decision was motivated by the need to preserve party unity and respect the choice of members.
“I stepped down because I believed the interest of the party should come first. The primary election was conducted by party members across the constituency, and they freely chose Akogun Olugbenga Omole. That mandate must be respected because it reflects the collective will of APC members,” Balogun said.
Also speaking, the APC Returning Officer for the May 20 primary election, Mr. Christopher Omolorun, maintained that the exercise was conducted in accordance with the party’s rules and guidelines.
“There is no controversy about the outcome of the primary. The election was conducted in accordance with the APC guidelines and under the watch of INEC officials. Hon. Akogun Olugbenga Omole scored the highest number of votes and was duly declared the winner,” he said.
Similarly, the Chairman of APC Ward 2, Ikanmu, Elder Adodo Patrick, JP, whose ward produced the defeated aspirant, alleged that the lawmaker had little involvement in ward activities before the primary election.
“Hon. Raymond has never attended any APC meeting in Ward 2. He is not known to APC members in the ward, and he never came to canvass for votes before the primary election. Party members know those who have worked with them, and Omole earned their support,” Patrick stated.
The stakeholders appealed to the APC National Chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure that Omole’s name is forwarded to INEC as the party’s authentic candidate for Akoko South West Constituency I.
They also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene by directing a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged attempt to replace the winner of the primary election.
Expressing confidence in the party leadership, the stakeholders urged APC members in the constituency to remain peaceful, law-abiding and committed to the unity and electoral success of the APC ahead of the forthcoming elections.