2027: Protesters Storm Oyo APC Office, Resist Imposition Of Candidates

Hundreds of protesters on Thursday stormed the Oyo State secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, rejecting alleged moves to impose candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The demonstrators, drawn from different local government areas, said they were opposed to what they described as attempts to sideline internal party democracy ahead of primaries expected to commence on Friday.

Tension, however, rose in the Oluyole Federal Constituency, where aggrieved party members reportedly resisted the third-term ambition of a serving lawmaker, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, alleging poor performance and lack of grassroots development impact.

The situation escalated as protesters allegedly hurled insults and nearly attacked the lawmaker during the unrest, forcing security intervention to prevent further escalation.

The protesters warned that any attempt to “force” the lawmaker as a candidate for a third term would trigger political crisis in the constituency and undermine the APC’s electoral chances.

They argued that Oluyole Federal Constituency had “capable hands” and should not be treated as a personal political estate.

“We cannot allow the transition of our democratic representation to become a personal estate. It is time for her to honourably step aside and allow fresh blood to take the mantle in 2027,” one of the protesters said.

The demonstrators also accused the lawmaker of underperformance, alleging a lack of meaningful constituency projects despite years in the National Assembly.

Some party loyalists from other local governments echoed similar concerns, warning that the APC risked losing the state if it proceeded with what they called imposition of unpopular candidates.

They insisted that only credible and widely accepted aspirants should emerge through a transparent primary process.

Meanwhile, an aspirant for the House of Representatives, Hon. Gbolagade Abiodun, told journalists after a stakeholders’ meeting that party leadership had informed aspirants of plans for a “guided primary” with a pre-determined list of eligible voters.

He said the development had generated anger among aspirants, who rejected the arrangement, insisting on a direct primary.

“Oyo State has been dehumanized since 2019. In 2019 we did imposition, in 2023 we did imposition… If the party still imposes candidates the implication is that even the president cannot win this coming election,” he said.

Abiodun also alleged that some candidates lacked grassroots support and had abandoned the party, insisting that the process must reflect the will of party members.

“What they are saying is let there be a direct primary… What is happening now is that Tolu Sadipe does not even have a stake in the party in Oluyole local government,” he added.

He further warned that continued imposition could push supporters toward opposition parties ahead of 2027.

As the 2027 election cycle approaches, protesters maintained that they would resist any attempt to undermine internal democracy, insisting that only a credible and transparent selection process would guarantee party unity and electoral success.