A violent confrontation and suspected use of a local charm during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Ibadan North have thrown the party into deeper crisis ahead of the August 16 by-election.The primary, held on Sunday under a heavy security presence, descended into chaos as physical altercations erupted among party members and delegates.
The situation escalated dramatically when Idris Lapade, a former Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government and a leading aspirant, was allegedly struck in the chest with a suspected charm during a confrontation with party agents.
Witnesses at the venue said he collapsed at the scene and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.“It was like a battlefield, not an election. We feared for our lives,” said a delegate who witnessed the incident.The violence, coupled with allegations of manipulated delegate lists and undue interference, has prompted nine aspirants to unanimously reject the outcome of the exercise.
They described the entire process as fraudulent, opaque, and hijacked by vested interests, particularly accusing a recently-returned serving minister of exerting undue influence over the primary.“The process was hijacked by outsiders. A serving minister who only just rejoined the APC dictated what should happen in a local constituency he doesn’t belong to,” one of the aspirants told reporters.
Sources within the party revealed that the minister allegedly influenced the selection through his connection with committee members dispatched from the APC’s national secretariat in Abuja.This latest development adds to a string of internal crises that have plagued the APC in Oyo State since losing the governorship in 2019.The party remains split between factions loyal to the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, 2023 gubernatorial candidate Senator Teslim Folarin, and current Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.The aggrieved aspirants have vowed to escalate the matter to the national leadership of the APC, accusing members of the state executive committee of complicity and bias.“This is a betrayal of democracy. The leadership in Oyo State has turned our party into a tool for personal interests.
We will not recognize this sham of a primary,” another aspirant declared.As tension simmers, reports suggest that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) may intervene, with options ranging from ordering a rerun to imposing a consensus candidate if reconciliation fails.Meanwhile, security operatives have increased surveillance across the Ibadan North constituency to forestall further breakdown of law and order while efforts by party leaders to mediate between factions are ongoing.INEC has scheduled the by-election for August 16, 2025.
