A protest broke out in the early hours of Friday at the Oyo State Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oke Ado, Ibadan, as concerned party members took to the streets to express their frustration over the unresolved candidacy ahead of the Ibadan North federal constituency bye-election.
Chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards, the aggrieved members—who gathered in their tens—accused the party leadership of insensitivity and delay that could jeopardize the APC’s chances in the upcoming election.
The protesters described the current impasse as a failure of leadership, warning that continued silence and indecision could cost the party both its unity and electoral victory.
“It is unfair that days after the aborted primary election at Royal Garden, Ijokodo, we still don’t know our candidate. There has been no official communication from the party leadership, and this silence is not only frustrating but demoralizing,” one of the protesters told reporters.
Another protester added, “We feel abandoned. The leadership is not treating loyal members with respect. How can we go into an election with this level of disorganization?”
The APC had scheduled its primary election for Sunday, but the exercise was reportedly marred by irregularities and logistical lapses, leading to its eventual disruption.
With the bye-election fast approaching, party faithful are now urging national leaders of the APC to step in and ensure a transparent and inclusive process that allows the people of Ibadan North to choose their representative.
