Socio-political structures and party faithful within the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency have rejected the outcome of the recent House of Representatives primary election, alleging structural manipulation and arbitrary imposition of an incumbent lawmaker.
The stakeholders made their grievances public in a joint resolution issued on Thursday and made available to 9japarrot, where they flatly refused to acknowledge the return of the ticket to the current representative who is seeking an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in the National Assembly.
According to the group, returning the ticket to an incumbent who has already completed a predecessor’s unexpired term alongside two additional full terms violates the foundational progressive principles of equity, rotational justice, and inclusive governance.
The progressive leaders raised historical concerns regarding the systematic exclusion of certain administrative blocs within the constituency, pointing out that since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, Oke-Ero Local Government Area has never produced a member for the green chamber.
“The people of Oke-Ero Local Government view the present circumstances as inconsistent with the principles of equity, justice, and political inclusiveness that the party has always professed to uphold. The continued exclusion of an entire local government from representation at the National Assembly after more than two decades of uninterrupted democratic rule raises serious questions about fairness and the spirit of unity within the constituency,” the statement read.
The concerned stakeholders maintained that based on certified field reports and valid votes cast by delegates across the four local government councils, a prominent grassroot philanthropist, Dr. Hon. Kehinde Alex Bankole, secured the highest number of lawful votes and remains the authentic choice of the people.
They described Bankole as a highly visible, accessible, and widely accepted leader whose extensive track record in human capital empowerment, community development, and infrastructure support earned him a legitimate mandate at the primary polls.
The elders and party faithful consequently appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the National Leadership of the APC to urgently intervene, review the primary election results, and protect the sanctity of the internal democratic process by declaring Bankole the authentic candidate.
While reaffirming their unalloyed loyalty to the progressive mandate of the ruling party, the stakeholders warned that subverting the clear choices of delegates and grassroots members could heavily damage public confidence and internal cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.