Power, politics and rivalry: The forces tearing Ondo APC apart

July 28, 2026 12:05 am

The crisis rocking the Ondo APC appears far from over as fresh disagreements over the party’s 2027 election candidates continue to widen the gap among key stakeholders despite moves to reconcile aggrieved members, PETER DADA reports

In recent weeks, cracks have continued to widen within the Ondo State chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, as the internal crisis rocking the party appears far from resolution despite reconciliation efforts by its leadership.

The development followed the announcement of a reconciliation committee by the party’s state leadership aimed at resolving grievances among members and fostering unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued last weekend by the state Secretary of the party, Mr Alex Kalejaiye, the APC said it had constituted a 10-member committee headed by a chieftain of the party and Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Mr Biyi Poroye.

The statement read, “To reestablish cordial relations among its members and fortify its structures, the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has put in place a 10-man reconciliation committee.

“This becomes expedient to harness all members of the party ahead of forthcoming general elections. The party must unite to deliver maximally for all our candidates.”

Other members of the committee are Chief Jamiu Ekungba, Rtd Capt. Vincent Oyepata, Mr Kenneth Odusola, Erelu Modupe Martins, Hon. Babatunde Okeyomi, Yeyeoge Funmilayo Oluwadare, Hon. Mohammed Olawale Mutiu, Dr Jumoke Aborode, and Engr. Bamidele Olanubi, who will serve as secretary.

The party said the committee was set up to address grievances arising from the recent primary elections and recommend ways to pacify aggrieved members.

“The leadership of the party views the quality of members and spread of members across senatorial districts as a source of strength. The committee would explore internal mechanisms of the party to resolve crises generated by the recent primary elections and make recommendations on how displeased party members, with genuine concerns, could be pacified,” the statement added.

The reconciliation move came amid controversy surrounding the decision of the APC National Working Committee to submit the list of candidates who would fly the party’s flag in the 2027 general elections in Ondo State.

Some party members had alleged that the list did not reflect the outcome of the primaries conducted in the state in April and May. Although the national secretariat of the party had yet to officially release the list, sources said the names of the candidates had already been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for upload.

The controversial list was said to contain the names of several incumbent members of the National Assembly, some of whom allegedly lost their primaries.

Two of the three incumbent senators representing Ondo North and Ondo Central senatorial districts reportedly made the list, while there was little controversy over the Ondo South district, where Mr Isaac Kekemeke, declared winner of the senatorial primary, was widely accepted.

For the House of Representatives, seven of the nine incumbent lawmakers reportedly made the list, while two — Abiola Makinde representing Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency and Mr Derin Adesida representing Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency — were dropped.

The senatorial candidates on the list are Senator Olajide Ipinsagba (Ondo North), Senator Niyi Adegbomire (Ondo Central), and Mr Isaac Kekemeke, the APC National Vice Chairman (South West).

Those listed for the House of Representatives include Ife Ehindero (Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West), Gboyega Adefarati (Akoko South-West/Akoko South-East), Timehin Adelegbe (Owo/Ose), Omowumi Olatunji (Akure North/Akure South), Festus Akingbaso (Idanre/Ifedore), Michael Akintomide (Ondo East/Ondo West), Ayodele Adefiranye (Ile Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo), Jimi Odimayo (Okitipupa/Irele), and Donald Ojogo (Ilaje/Ese Odo).

The development has reportedly deepened political disagreements among party members, with some stakeholders linking the dispute to the rivalry between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and other influential blocs within the party.

Some party members have alleged that several of the governor’s preferred candidates, who were said to have won the primaries, were removed from the final list. They also accused some incumbent federal lawmakers of lobbying the national leadership of the party to retain their positions.

The controversy triggered protests by some APC youths and women groups in Akure, the state capital, and Ondo town, who accused the National Working Committee of bias and alleged that some candidates on the list did not emerge victorious from the primaries.

However, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, defended the action of the National Working Committee in an interview on Arise TV, saying the substitution of some candidates followed recommendations from appeal committees set up by the party.

Morka said the party received more than 720 petitions from aspirants and reviewed the complaints before arriving at its decisions.

“We received over 720 petitions from those who contested in that election. These petitions were reviewed by the appeal committees. Recommendations were made to the National Working Committee. But the National Working Committee of our party, in its wisdom, also took responsibility to review the reports of the appeal committees and to re-evaluate those cases. And at the end of them, we made those changes that you are discussing. So these are legitimate outcomes of our primaries,” he said.

One of the incumbent federal lawmakers and APC candidates, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, denied allegations that they lobbied the party’s national secretariat in Abuja to overturn the results of the primaries.

The lawmaker insisted that the APC National Working Committee acted within its powers, arguing that the changes made to the candidates’ list followed the recommendations of the party’s appeal committees.

He said there were no credible primaries in Ondo State, alleging that some candidates were imposed under the supervision of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

“They thought they were smart. They imposed candidates and wrote the results of the primaries in their favour, which you know cannot stand. The party has said it several times that the National Working Committee’s action followed recommendations from the appeal committees, and the NWC also reviewed everything before arriving at its decision.

“So, let them continue with their reconciliation efforts. The bottom line is that the names have been sent to INEC and nobody can change them. They should join hands with us to ensure success in the forthcoming general elections,” he said.

On the other side of the divide, one of the aggrieved aspirants and a supporter of Governor Aiyedatiwa, Mr Razak Obe, warned that the crisis could affect the electoral fortunes of President Bola Tinubu and the APC in Ondo State during the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking on Arise TV, Obe expressed concern over the party’s internal divisions, noting that Ondo State delivered a significant percentage of its votes to Tinubu in the last presidential election.

“If you say go to elections today in the state, I don’t fear for other people who are playing these games, but for the President himself. In Ondo State, he had 67 per cent of our votes in the last election, the highest in the country.

“From what we know today, nobody can beat their chest and say we’re going to win an election anywhere if we go into the 2027 election,” he stated.

Meanwhile, some of the aggrieved aspirants have approached the Federal High Court to challenge the decision of the APC National Working Committee, seeking legal redress over the disputed candidates’ list.

Despite the reconciliation committee set up by the state chapter of the party, some stakeholders remain doubtful that the move will resolve the deep divisions within the Ondo APC.

The crisis is believed by some party members to be linked to a growing political rivalry between Governor Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. While Aiyedatiwa remains the recognised leader of the party in the state, some stakeholders believe Tunji-Ojo’s influence has expanded significantly in recent months.

The minister is said to have strengthened his political network across the 18 local government areas of the state through various support groups and engagements with party members. Some observers believe this influence was reflected in the outcome of the controversial primaries, where several aspirants believed to be aligned with Tunji-Ojo reportedly secured the party’s tickets.

However, the state Chairman of the APC, Mr Babatunde Kolawole, expressed confidence that the reconciliation committee would resolve the disputes and restore unity within the party ahead of the elections.

Kolawole said disagreements were normal after internal party elections and assured that the leadership would address the concerns of aggrieved members.

“I’ve said it earlier that it’s normal after various elections within the party to expect some little political bickering. We expect that some people may not be satisfied with the outcome of the elections, and as I said earlier, they are entitled to their opinions.

“But it is our duty as a party to come up with a reconciliation committee that will look into the various grievances being reported and see how we can get to the bottom of them, ensuring that we bring everybody together for the benefit of the party because we have elections ahead of us.

“I’ve said that in Ondo State, there is no division at all under the leadership of the governor,” he said.

Political analysts have warned that failure to resolve the crisis could affect the party’s performance in the 2027 elections.

The situation has drawn comparisons with the events of 2019, when internal disagreements over the distribution of party tickets reportedly led to defections and anti-party activities among some APC members in Ondo State. The party subsequently lost the presidential election and some National Assembly seats in the state to opposition parties.

A political scientist, Mr Lanre Oke, said it was unfortunate that the APC found itself embroiled in another crisis over candidate selection after conducting what he described as a purportedly credible primary process.

According to him, aggrieved aspirants may be difficult to reconcile if their grievances are not genuinely addressed.

“I will blame the governor for not handling the crisis properly from the beginning as the leader of the party in the state. I think he should not have allowed the matter to degenerate to this level by not working with the federal lawmakers and the ministers in Abuja.

“Aiyedatiwa is the father of all and nobody is contesting that with him, but he should have played that fatherly role effectively. Now those guys in Abuja have had their way, and if the situation is not well managed, he (Aiyedatiwa) may lose the political structure entirely and the party may have itself to blame,” Oke said.

He added that both Aiyedatiwa and Tunji-Ojo would need to find common ground to prevent the crisis from damaging the party’s chances in future elections.

“They should remember what happened in 2019,” he added.

With memories of the 2019 political crisis still fresh, stakeholders are watching closely to see how the current situation will affect the APC’s fortunes in the 2027 general elections.

There are concerns that opposition parties may capitalise on the divisions within the ruling party, as some APC members are reportedly exploring alliances and possible collaborations ahead of the polls.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Congress (PDC) in Ondo State has distanced itself from the internal crisis rocking the APC, saying its focus is on strengthening its structure and preparing for the forthcoming elections.

The state chairman of the party, Mr Kennedy Peretei, said the opposition party was not interested in the APC’s internal affairs but was concentrating on winning the legislative elections.

“There is nothing concerning us with the APC; let them face their battle. Our major concern is the State and National Assembly elections coming up next year.

“We are strategising on how our candidates in all the senatorial districts and federal constituencies of the state would emerge victorious in the polls. That is our focus currently, and the results of the election will shock the ruling party,” Peretei said.

Peter Dada

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