A group within the All Progressives Congress in Kwara State, operating under the banner of Kwara APC Like-Minds, has rejected the outcome of the party’s House of Assembly primary election for Essa/Sawo/Igbodun State Constituency, alleging candidate imposition and demanding a fresh exercise.
Addressing journalists, the group’s spokesperson, Jamiu Nasir, described the primary as a “ghost election,” alleging that the process was manipulated to favour a particular aspirant.
According to him, the controversy began on the eve of the primary when only one aspirant, Taye Omotosho, allegedly appeared on the list of cleared contestants, while the name of another aspirant, Hon. Sefiu Sempe Royal, was added only after protests by party stakeholders.
Nasir further alleged that other aspirants who had purchased nomination forms and fulfilled the party’s requirements were excluded from the contest.
He claimed the exercise failed to meet democratic standards and denied party members the opportunity to freely choose their candidate.
The group also questioned Omotosho’s popularity, alleging that her emergence had boosted the confidence of opposition parties ahead of the general election. The allegations could not be independently verified.
Drawing a comparison with the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Nasir argued that the constituency primary was worse because, according to him, no actual voting took place before the declaration of a winner.
The group demanded the immediate cancellation of the primary, verification of the authentic delegate list, and the conduct of a fresh, transparent election involving all qualified aspirants.
“Anything less is an endorsement of fraud. You cannot reward betrayal and punish loyalty,” Nasir said, warning that failure to address the grievances could affect the party’s electoral fortunes in the constituency.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State APC and the aspirant named in the allegations, Taye Omotosho, had yet to issue any official response.
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