Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oluyole Federal Constituency, Oyo State, on Tuesday staged a protest over the outcome of the party’s House of Representatives primary election, insisting that the declared winner did not emerge victorious in the exercise.
The aggrieved party members converged on the Oyo State APC Secretariat located along the Molete–Oke Ado Road in Ibadan, where they accused the party leadership of disregarding the wishes of delegates by announcing Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe as the winner of the primary election.
The protesters maintained that Hon. Gbolagade Abiodun secured the highest number of votes during the exercise and should have been declared the party’s candidate for the Oluyole Federal Constituency seat.
Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the demonstrators urged the leadership of the party to reverse the outcome of the primary election and recognise Gbolagade as the authentic winner.
Several party leaders from the constituency alleged that delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of Gbolagade, only to be surprised by the eventual declaration of Akande-Sadipe.
“We all came out and voted massively for Hon. Gbolagade but, lo and behold, we later heard that the name of Sadipe, who came fourth or third, was announced as the winner,” one of the protesters said.
The aggrieved members insisted that the election results did not reflect the decision reached by delegates during the primary.
According to them, Gbolagade enjoyed overwhelming support across the constituency, making the final declaration difficult for many party faithful to accept.
Calling on the party to correct what they described as an injustice, the protesters reiterated that delegates gave their mandate solely to Gbolagade.
“We voted for Gbolagade and no one else. We did not vote for Sadipe,” they declared.
The demonstrators explained that their decision to protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the party leadership to what they described as the imposition of a candidate.
They argued that allowing the disputed outcome to stand could create further division within the party ahead of future elections.
Some of the protesters also questioned the credibility of the results announced, claiming that the figures did not correspond with what transpired during the primary election.
They maintained that delegates who participated in the exercise were aware of the actual outcome and expected the party to respect their decision.
The supporters further praised Gbolagade for his contributions to the constituency, noting that he had positively impacted many lives despite never holding an elective office or political appointment.
According to them, his commitment to community development and grassroots empowerment earned him the confidence of delegates during the primary election.
Addressing the protesters at the party secretariat, the Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Moses Alake Adeyemo, appealed for calm and assured them that the party leadership would look into their grievances.
Adeyemo disclosed that although he did not know Gbolagade personally, he had heard positive reports about him from party members.
“I have heard a lot about Gbolagade even though I do not know him personally,” the chairman said.
He assured the protesters that every effort would be made to resolve the dispute in the interest of the party.
Adeyemo urged all party members to remain peaceful while internal mechanisms were deployed to address the complaints surrounding the primary election.
The APC chairman expressed optimism that the leadership would find a solution capable of preserving unity within the party and strengthening its preparations for future electoral contests.
