Osun APC primary: Stakeholders caution against imposition of candidates

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has been urged to strictly adhere to due process in the selection of the party’s senatorial candidates for the 2027 general election.

The call was made by a Senatorial aspirant from Osun West Senatorial District, ABULGafar Akintayo Amere, who spoke during a meeting of APC leaders across the senatorial district in Iwo on Thursday.

Amere, who represented Iwo/Ayedire/Ọla-Oluwa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2019, was not happy with alleged moves to foist a candidate on the party without due democratic process.

He said party leaders told the aspirants that only one nomination form would be purchased for a consensus candidate. However, the decision was later reversed and all aspirants were ordered to pick nomination forms after consulting the party secretary and other stakeholders of the party.

We were summoned to the meeting and asked to express our opinions about the candidate allegedly chosen by the leaders. I said it was an unfair process. Initially they insisted that only one form would be obtained for the preferred candidate but later they contacted us and told everyone to buy forms. Before proceeding, we consulted with the party secretary and other leaders about this directive.

He said the APC’s National Working Committee, NWC, had already directed that all senatorial aspirants must participate in the primary election fixed for Monday, adding that there was no room for a consensus arrangement.

Yesterday the national leadership of the party reiterated that all senatorial candidates must go through the primary election. There is no such thing as a consensus candidate. “We will follow the directive of the National Working Committee as it overrides any decision taken at the state level or elsewhere,” he added.

He also said the same thing was happening in other senatorial districts in the state and called on other aspirants to resist any attempt to deny them a level playing ground.

Another aspirant, Peter Taiwo, who also spoke at the meeting, said the meeting was convened by APC leaders in Osun West Senatorial District to discuss the adoption of a preferred candidate.

He said: “Many of the aspirants rejected the proposal, insisting that the Electoral Act and party guidelines require the consent of all contestants before a consensus candidate can emerge.

“We told the leaders we are not happy with the arrangement. By law, all candidates must freely consent before a consensus nominee is chosen. Any party shall have a primary election if any contestant objects.

Preparations are underway for the direct primary election on Monday following the directive of the party’s National Working Committee as most of the aspirants were against the decision of the leaders, he said.