Former Nigerian power minister and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant Adebayo Adelabu has alleged widespread irregularities in the party’s governorship primary election in Oyo State, saying the exercise was neither free nor credible.
Speaking in Ibadan, Adelabu claimed that voting in some wards began before the scheduled time, while party members were allegedly prevented from participating in parts of the state.
He said some wards recorded results despite voting not taking place, while others witnessed intimidation and violence against party members.”Before our people started getting to their various wards, they have already conducted the election and they wrote the figures they liked,” Adelabu said.
“In some wards, our people were prevented from voting. They were intimidated. They were chased away violently. And in some wards, voting did not take place at all. But they recorded numbers,” he added.
Adelabu described the alleged incidents as a setback for democratic practice and vowed to challenge the outcome through formal petitions.
He also criticised what he described as the adoption of “consensus candidates” in some wards, arguing that aspirants who had purchased nomination forms and were cleared for the contest should have been allowed to participate in a transparent direct primary.
According to him, party leaders in Abuja had directed that a free and fair direct primary election be conducted across the state.”There was nothing like consensus candidates,” Adelabu said.
The former Minister alleged that some party officials collaborated with certain aspirants to influence the process. Adelabu said he would submit petitions to relevant party authorities seeking an investigation into the alleged irregularities and sanctions against those found culpable.
He said the complaints would cover not only Ibadan but all five geopolitical zones of Oyo State. Despite his objections, results from Ward 9 in Ibadan South-East Local Government showed Adelabu polling 430 votes to defeat rival Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who secured three votes.The APC has not yet publicly responded to Adelabu’s allegations.