After weeks of horse-trading, the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reportedly resolved its ticket logjam in Ondo State by granting automatic tickets to all serving House of Representatives members from the state.
According to Starnews NG, reliable sources within the Abuja APC National Secretariat confirmed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) has officially issued nomination forms to all current federal lawmakers, directing them to finalise and submit their documentation immediately.
In a notable adjustment to the federal lineup, the APC Vice Chairman for the South-West, Isaac Kekemeke, has been awarded the party’s ticket for the Ondo South Senatorial District.
Meanwhile, deep-rooted friction remains as sources indicate that the party’s State House of Assembly candidate list has been significantly altered behind closed doors to accommodate competing interests.
This decisive resolution by the national leadership comes as a direct intervention following a tumultuous primary election season in May, which threatened to fracture the Ondo State APC chapter entirely.
Tensions escalated when the state leadership, closely aligned with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, sought to implement a delicately negotiated consensus arrangement, which faced fierce backlash from rival aspirants, delegates, and party faithful.
Critics argued that the automatic tickets bypassed local democratic processes and amounted to backdoor impositions.
The internal crisis reached a boiling point on the days designated for the primary elections when the APC National Screening Committee released an unexpected statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka, listing several prominent contenders as “not cleared” to participate.
This disqualification list dealt a significant blow to Governor Aiyedatiwa’s faction, screening out three of his highly promoted “anointed” consensus candidates: Tajudeen Adefisoye (Idanre/Ifedore), Victor Ategbole (Akoko South-East/South-West), and Samuel Arowele (Owo/Ose).
Widespread exclusion continued, as other frontrunners, including Seun Ajongbolo, Morufu Ibrahim, Oyeniyi Oseni, and Olaleye John Adedipe, were also blocked at the final hour. Disqualified aspirants openly criticized the timing of the screening reports, arguing that releasing disqualifications on the day of the voting denied them their constitutional right to appeal. Outraged supporters took to the streets, blocking major highways and staging massive protests over the lack of transparency.
The situation escalated to violence when suspected political thugs stormed the APC State Secretariat during the collation of House of Representatives primary results in Akure.
The invasion forced security operatives to hastily evacuate the National Assembly Primary Election Committee chairman, Hon. Iboroma Harry Dabibi, while state party chairman Kolawole Babatunde and other stakeholders fled through back exits.
With parallel primaries claimed, disrupted results, and petitions flooding Abuja, the direct primary system left six incumbent Representatives temporarily displaced from their tickets.
By bypassing the fractured local outcomes and directly issuing nomination forms to all sitting federal lawmakers from Abuja, the APC national leadership aims to enforce stability ahead of the upcoming general election deadlines.
However, with the alleged parallel manipulation of the State House of Assembly list and aggrieved local stakeholders still demanding transparency, the national secretariat’s heavy-handed resolution is likely to encounter legal or political resistance from the grassroots base in the state.
Credit: Starnews NG
