The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State says its primary election was conducted peacefully, even as a small protest erupted in Ijesa North over the endorsement of a candidate for the forthcoming general election.
Aluko Alfred, the party’s South‑West Zonal Secretary and chair of the monitoring and supervising committee, told journalists in Osogbo that the exercise proceeded without disruption across the state. “The primary election held across Osun State was hitch‑free. Reports from the field showed that the exercise was conducted peacefully,” he said, adding that the committee was impressed by the cooperation of party leaders and members. “We commend the leadership and members of the party in the state for their cooperation, which contributed to the success recorded.”
Bayo Ayo, chair of the APC Primary Election Committee in Osun, echoed the sentiment, praising members for their orderly conduct. “Members of the party conducted themselves peacefully, and the process has been largely successful across the state,” he affirmed. Ayo noted that the collation of results is ongoing and promised that the final outcome will be announced in due course.
The otherwise calm atmosphere was punctuated by a protest in Ijesa North Federal Constituency. Party members gathered to object to the endorsement of incumbent lawmaker Oluwole Oke as the APC candidate for the 2027 election. Oke, who also serves as Director General of the Osun APC Campaign Council, hails from Esa‑Oke in Obokun Local Government Area. Protesters displayed placards demanding that the ticket go to a candidate from Oriade Local Government Area instead, arguing that it was Oriade’s turn to produce the next federal lawmaker.
While the APC’s central leadership maintains that the primary process was orderly, the Ijesa North demonstration highlights lingering intra‑party tensions over candidate selection. Observers note that such disputes are common in competitive party primaries, especially in states where political alignments are tightly contested.
The party’s next steps will involve finalising and publishing the collation results, after which the endorsed candidates will move toward the broader electoral calendar. How the APC reconciles the dissent in Ijesa North with its overall narrative of a smooth primary could influence internal cohesion as it gears up for the national contests ahead.
