Tension engulfed the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday as aggrieved party members staged a protest at the party secretariat in Ibadan over alleged plans to impose candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The protesters, who stormed the APC Secretariat located at Oke-Ado in Ibadan South East Local Government Area, disrupted an ongoing leadership and stakeholders’ meeting convened with party aspirants, insisting that the leadership must not repeat what they described as the mistakes that contributed to the party’s poor outing during the 2023 elections.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions condemning alleged favoritism and monetisation of the party’s internal processes, the demonstrators warned the leadership against allowing financial influence and godfatherism to determine who emerges as candidates for future elections.
The protest highlighted growing tension within the opposition party in Oyo State as political alignments and permutations for the 2027 elections continue to gather momentum across the country.
Eyewitnesses at the secretariat said the atmosphere became charged as scores of protesters arrived chanting solidarity songs and demanding transparency in the conduct of party affairs. Some of the placards displayed by the aggrieved members reportedly carried messages such as “No to imposed candidates,” “APC belongs to all members,” and “Allow credible primaries.”
According to the protesters, the party hierarchy must provide equal opportunities for all aspirants interested in contesting elective positions rather than allegedly endorsing preferred candidates behind closed doors.
The aggrieved members maintained that the survival and electoral success of the party in Oyo State would depend largely on the credibility of its internal democratic process.
One of the protesters, who spoke anonymously, alleged that some influential individuals within the party were already working to position loyalists for strategic elective offices years ahead of the elections.
He argued that such actions could deepen divisions within the APC and weaken the party’s chances of reclaiming power in the state.
“We suffered serious setbacks in the last elections because many members felt sidelined and cheated during the primaries. If the leadership allows the same thing to happen again, the party may face another crisis,” the protester said.
The demonstrators further appealed to the national leadership of the APC to closely monitor political developments in Oyo State and ensure fairness in all future primary elections.
However, the protest later degenerated into chaos as party officials alleged that hoodlums infiltrated the gathering and unleashed violence on persons and property within the secretariat premises.
Confirming the incident in Ibadan, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Olawale Sadare, dismissed the protest as a sponsored attempt to destabilise the party and disrupt the peace currently being enjoyed within the state chapter.
Sadare accused some disgruntled elements of orchestrating the disturbance with the intention of creating panic and disaffection among members.
According to him, the attackers arrived at the secretariat armed with dangerous weapons and charms and proceeded to vandalise vehicles and parts of the party office.
“The protesters were sponsored to disrupt the existing peace that the party is enjoying,” Sadare stated.
“The hoodlums who reportedly unleashed terror on members of the state executive committee, staff and others who were present at the Secretariat, were armed with weapons and charms as they came in high numbers to carry out their nefarious acts.
“The attacks, which lasted for about two hours, left in its wake damage to private cars and the Secretariat building as windshields, tyres, office windows and doors among other things were shattered.
“It was a case of sponsored attacks by some disgruntled elements but we are glad that no life was lost in the unprovoked attacks. We have reported it to the security agents and I am aware that investigations have already begun. That is all I can say for now.”
Sources within the party disclosed that the stakeholders’ meeting was intended to strengthen unity among members and open discussions on preparations for future elections before the protest interrupted proceedings.
The development has once again exposed underlying cracks within the Oyo APC, a party that has battled internal disagreements, factional rivalries and leadership disputes in recent years.
Political observers believe that if unresolved, the latest crisis could further complicate efforts by the APC to reposition itself as a formidable opposition force against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party government in Oyo State ahead of the next electoral cycle.
As of the time of filing this report, security operatives were said to be monitoring the situation around the party secretariat while investigations into the incident continued.
